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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,080 in Stony Hill, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,414 in Stony Hill, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,747 in Stony Hill, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than Stony Hill, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Stony Hill are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Stony Hill 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.67 JMD 1,205

55.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$63.4 JMD 9,955

-32.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.97 JMD 1,409

18.06%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$4.30 JMD 676

-15.81%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.37 JMD 216

7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.65 JMD 102

44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.90 JMD 299

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.20 JMD 502

39.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.08 JMD 484

-53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.60 JMD 251

17.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.61 JMD 253

1.24%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.33 JMD 523

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.88 JMD 1,709

-24.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.15 JMD 809

60.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$2.87 JMD 450

286.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$6.13 JMD 962

-56.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$3.10 JMD 487

-51.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$4.08 JMD 641

-51.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.55 JMD 401

-18.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.09 JMD 328

-14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.85 JMD 290

17.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.56 JMD 244

-30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.51 JMD 237

-31.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$8.51 JMD 1,336

-53.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.36 JMD 1,784

-10.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.90 JMD 455

-40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.09 JMD 485

-19.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.12 JMD 176

180.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$3.24 JMD 510

-25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.31 JMD 990

-51.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.67 JMD 105

89.55%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$31.6K JMD 5.0M

-2.14%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$24.6K JMD 3.9M

-5.09%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$47.44 JMD 7,451

72.87%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$22.34 JMD 3,508

0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$41.34 JMD 6,493

-28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$75.5 JMD 11.9K

-31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$18.70 JMD 2,937

-0.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$12.27 JMD 1,928

-59.49%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$229 JMD 36.0K

-13.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,515 JMD 395.0K

109.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$26.11 JMD 4,101

39.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$25.75 JMD 4,044

55.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

10.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$74.8 JMD 11.7K

18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$926 JMD 145.4K

4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$332 JMD 52.2K

39.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$2,223 JMD 349.1K

-28.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,909 JMD 299.8K

-36.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Stony Hill: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $926 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: $251 vs $289 – 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 19%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,620 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 $1,287 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 $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $229 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 $1,287. 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.