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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,215 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,842 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,469 in San Pedro Sula, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% 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 3% lower, San Pedro Sula 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.66 HNL 204

53.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$31.10 HNL 828

33.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.68 HNL 231

22.58%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.17 HNL 57.8

62.21%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.37 HNL 36.62

10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.11 HNL 29.53

-12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.94 HNL 51.6

52.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.22 HNL 85.7

38.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.47 HNL 39.15

-6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.96 HNL 52.2

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.55 HNL 41.32

5.81%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.51 HNL 66.8

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$8.92 HNL 238

-6.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.95 HNL 159

40.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.98 HNL 293

-2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$4.27 HNL 114

-39.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.58 HNL 42.03

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$3.94 HNL 105

-51.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$2.02 HNL 53.7

2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$2.27 HNL 60.5

-21.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.51 HNL 66.8

-12.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.82 HNL 21.92

26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.62 HNL 43.22

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.14 HNL 83.7

29.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$12.99 HNL 346

-20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.11 HNL 29.47

54.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.62 HNL 43.04

59.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.58 HNL 15.51

-12.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$37.20 HNL 991

-28.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$3.75 HNL 99.8

-13.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.43 HNL 37.99

74.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$7.19 HNL 192

-54.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.05 HNL 27.96

24.76%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$21.5K HNL 573.8K

40.55%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$16.4K HNL 435.6K

43.29%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$135 HNL 3,589

-38.50%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$10.17 HNL 271

118.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$49.79 HNL 1,326

-41.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$39.17 HNL 1,043

31.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$20.81 HNL 554

-11.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$5.41 HNL 144

-6.28%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$144 HNL 3,844

39.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$3,288 HNL 87.6K

58.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$50.5 HNL 1,344

-26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$37.13 HNL 989

7.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$83.6 HNL 2,226

-6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$93.6 HNL 2,492

-6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$556 HNL 14.8K

74.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$416 HNL 11.1K

12.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$925 HNL 24.6K

77.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$739 HNL 19.7K

65.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,031 HNL 27.5K

282.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$430 HNL 11.4K

1412.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$597 HNL 15.9K

11.19%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $556 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 11% 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 $266 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 7%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,823 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,215 in San Pedro Sula. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 41% 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 $1,215, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.