Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Pedro Sula Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and San Pedro Sula

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,239 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,872 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,506 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 1% more than San Pedro Sula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and San Pedro Sula are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, San Pedro Sula 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.73 HNL 207

55.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$30.80 HNL 824

35.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.59 HNL 230

25.15%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.15 HNL 57.4

62.79%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.34 HNL 35.70

8.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.06 HNL 28.33

-16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.96 HNL 52.4

50.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.33 HNL 88.9

35.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.49 HNL 39.73

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.98 HNL 52.9

-7.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.51 HNL 40.27

3.97%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.53 HNL 67.7

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.12 HNL 244

-9.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.04 HNL 162

39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.25 HNL 301

-5.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$4.27 HNL 114

-38.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.57 HNL 41.90

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.72 HNL 99.4

-47.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.01 HNL 53.8

3.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.25 HNL 60.3

-17.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.61 HNL 69.9

-16.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.85 HNL 22.70

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.62 HNL 43.43

-33.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.00 HNL 80.2

36.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$13.11 HNL 351

-22.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.15 HNL 30.73

46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.55 HNL 41.48

63.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.63 HNL 16.91

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$36.58 HNL 978

-28.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.66 HNL 97.7

-11.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.42 HNL 37.97

69.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.93 HNL 185

-53.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.06 HNL 28.32

24.53%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$21.4K HNL 573.4K

38.45%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$16.6K HNL 443.9K

42.53%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$133 HNL 3,557

-38.35%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$10.04 HNL 268

128.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$49.96 HNL 1,336

-39.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$38.74 HNL 1,036

34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$20.93 HNL 560

-11.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.59 HNL 149

-10.91%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$145 HNL 3,864

36.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,188 HNL 85.2K

67.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$52.1 HNL 1,394

-31.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$37.66 HNL 1,007

7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$84.5 HNL 2,258

-6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$94.0 HNL 2,513

-5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$552 HNL 14.8K

71.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$417 HNL 11.2K

13.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$890 HNL 23.8K

84.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$720 HNL 19.2K

68.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$999 HNL 26.7K

306.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$431 HNL 11.5K

1399.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$594 HNL 15.9K

10.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.24

1.60%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $552 in San Pedro Sula. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in San Pedro Sula. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $268 in San Pedro Sula – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 San Pedro Sula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,858 in San Pedro Sula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pedro Sula, 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,239 in San Pedro Sula. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 40% less in San Pedro Sula. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro Sula, where all-in costs run around $1,239, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In San Pedro Sula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Pedro Sula – 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 San Pedro Sula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.