Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port-au-Prince Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port-au-Prince

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,068 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,299 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,529 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 39% cheaper than Port-au-Prince, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Port-au-Prince is 55% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$12.15 HTG 1,586

-1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$89.5 HTG 11.7K

-53.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$11.53 HTG 1,504

-9.63%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.61 HTG 211

118.01%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MX$26.39

$2.02 HTG 264

-24.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$1.49 HTG 194

-38.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$5.07 HTG 662

-40.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$7.04 HTG 918

-37.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.51 HTG 198

-5.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$2.47 HTG 322

-25.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$2.92 HTG 381

-44.18%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$2.72 HTG 355

-6.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$9.80 HTG 1,279

-12.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$15.18 HTG 1,981

-44.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$11.94 HTG 1,558

-9.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$4.92 HTG 643

-44.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.18 HTG 153

22.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$1.02 HTG 133

85.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$0.98 HTG 128

121.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$4.98 HTG 650

-64.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$2.88 HTG 376

-22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.99 HTG 129

8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$1.13 HTG 147

-4.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$1.96 HTG 255

111.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$15.46 HTG 2,017

-32.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.76 HTG 230

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$1.91 HTG 250

35.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.22 HTG 29.16

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$20.24 HTG 2,641

28.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$0.36 HTG 47.25

791.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.41 HTG 54.0

509.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$19.89 HTG 2,595

-83.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.15 HTG 150

9.57%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$34.5K HTG 4.5M

-14.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$44.6K HTG 5.8M

-46.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.0 MX$1,428

$99.4 HTG 13.0K

-17.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.73 MX$396

$49.52 HTG 6,461

-54.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$168 HTG 21.9K

-82.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$69.6 HTG 9,087

-25.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$20.15 HTG 2,629

-8.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$9.96 HTG 1,300

-50.50%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$202 MX$3,512

$98.2 HTG 12.8K

105.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$6,739 HTG 879.4K

-22.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$79.8 HTG 10.4K

-54.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$73.6 HTG 9,607

-45.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$121 HTG 15.8K

-34.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$149 HTG 19.4K

-39.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$926 HTG 120.8K

2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$904 HTG 118.0K

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$2,159 HTG 281.8K

-24.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$1,828 HTG 238.6K

-34.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$1,724 HTG 224.9K

128.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,523 HTG 198.7K

322.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Port-au-Prince: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $926 in Port-au-Prince. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $89.0 in Port-au-Prince. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $326 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Port-au-Prince: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port-au-Prince is pricier by about 64%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,103 in Port-au-Prince. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $2,068 in Port-au-Prince. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Port-au-Prince at $2,068. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port-au-Prince it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port-au-Prince makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.