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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,343 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,073 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,803 in Port-au-Prince, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 6% cheaper than Port-au-Prince, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Port-au-Prince are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Port-au-Prince 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$3.01 HTG 392

-44.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.71 HTG 354

-18.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.36 HTG 307

-27.54%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$5.56 HTG 725

-50.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.29 HTG 819

52.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.22 HTG 810

44.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.03 HTG 1,307

27.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$4.33 HTG 565

-33.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.54 HTG 201

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.29 HTG 169

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.42 HTG 316

-6.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$5.33 HTG 694

-62.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.14 HTG 279

-7.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.49 HTG 194

-17.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.38 HTG 180

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.54 HTG 201

195.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$15.16 HTG 1,974

-31.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.65 HTG 215

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.37 HTG 309

21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.21 HTG 27.80

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$20.20 HTG 2,632

42.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.39 HTG 51.1

1282.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.42 HTG 54.3

788.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$20.22 HTG 2,635

-71.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.14 HTG 149

35.09%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

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

$25.20 MX$435

$49.76 HTG 6,482

-49.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.18 HTG 1,327

-52.26%

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

$224 MX$3,856

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$75.8 HTG 9,880

-41.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$899 HTG 117.1K

18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$904 HTG 117.8K

-56.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$2,106 HTG 274.4K

2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,859 HTG 242.1K

-31.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,710 HTG 222.7K

134.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,475 HTG 192.2K

340.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Port-au-Prince: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $899 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.

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 6%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,015 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.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Port-au-Prince, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 43% 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 $1,266, than in Port-au-Prince at $1,343. 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.