Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Stony Hill Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Stony Hill

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,080 in Stony Hill, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,425 in Stony Hill, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,771 in Stony Hill, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Stony Hill, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Stony Hill are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Stony Hill 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.71 JMD 1,213

53.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$63.2 JMD 9,931

-32.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.71 JMD 1,370

22.27%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.32 JMD 679

-20.14%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.36 JMD 214

10.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.65 JMD 103

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.86 JMD 293

62.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.12 JMD 491

47.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$3.10 JMD 487

-55.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.56 JMD 245

18.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.56 JMD 246

3.21%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.43 JMD 540

-24.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.92 JMD 1,717

-24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.96 JMD 780

68.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$2.76 JMD 434

286.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$5.89 JMD 926

-55.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$3.11 JMD 490

-52.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.12 JMD 648

-53.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.56 JMD 402

-18.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.08 JMD 326

-10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.85 JMD 291

22.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.53 JMD 241

-30.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.48 JMD 233

-26.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$8.92 JMD 1,402

-53.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.48 JMD 1,805

-9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.79 JMD 439

-38.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.16 JMD 498

-17.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.12 JMD 175

179.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.26 JMD 512

-23.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.44 JMD 1,014

-51.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.67 JMD 105

89.55%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$31.3K JMD 4.9M

-3.05%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.3K JMD 4.0M

-6.75%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$47.46 JMD 7,464

74.88%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$22.24 JMD 3,498

2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$40.37 JMD 6,350

-27.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$75.2 JMD 11.8K

-32.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$18.89 JMD 2,971

-2.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$12.46 JMD 1,959

-60.43%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$230 JMD 36.2K

-14.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,438 JMD 383.3K

116.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$26.57 JMD 4,178

38.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$25.81 JMD 4,058

54.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$70.5 JMD 11.1K

13.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$77.2 JMD 12.1K

15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$937 JMD 147.4K

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$326 JMD 51.2K

46.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$2,225 JMD 350.0K

-26.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,852 JMD 291.3K

-33.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

26.89%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Stony Hill: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $937 in Stony Hill. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $63.0 in Stony Hill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $287 – 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 Stony Hill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,619 in Stony Hill. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stony Hill, 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,080 in Stony Hill. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $230 in Stony Hill. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Stony Hill, where all-in costs run around $1,080, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Stony Hill it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stony Hill – 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 Stony Hill. 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.