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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,618 in Stony Hill, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,831 in Stony Hill, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,043 in Stony Hill, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 22% cheaper than Stony Hill, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Stony Hill is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$15.93 JMD 2,497

-27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$74.6 JMD 11.7K

-36.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$9.03 JMD 1,415

31.56%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$5.49 JMD 860

-27.50%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.16 JMD 182

23.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.66 JMD 103

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.89 JMD 296

68.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.14 JMD 492

116.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$3.26 JMD 511

-48.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.56 JMD 244

41.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.65 JMD 259

3.64%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.32 JMD 521

-17.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$11.54 JMD 1,809

-16.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.01 JMD 785

79.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$2.83 JMD 443

352.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$6.10 JMD 956

-52.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$3.81 JMD 598

-60.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$4.14 JMD 649

-48.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.59 JMD 406

-12.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.82 JMD 441

-29.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.93 JMD 303

3.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.55 JMD 244

-20.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.46 JMD 229

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$9.49 JMD 1,487

-52.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$11.35 JMD 1,778

-8.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.95 JMD 462

-45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$3.99 JMD 626

-27.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.21 JMD 190

345.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.15 JMD 494

18.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$6.28 JMD 984

-8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.67 JMD 105

129.85%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$31.1K JMD 4.9M

-27.54%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$25.3K JMD 4.0M

3.13%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$46.75 JMD 7,327

95.47%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$21.94 JMD 3,438

14.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$41.99 JMD 6,581

-25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$75.6 JMD 11.9K

-11.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$19.03 JMD 2,983

52.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$12.61 JMD 1,976

-61.46%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$359 JMD 56.2K

-37.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$8,362 JMD 1.3M

-49.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$23.80 JMD 3,729

97.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$31.43 JMD 4,925

40.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$103 JMD 16.1K

-9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$966 JMD 151.4K

10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$747 JMD 117.0K

-47.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$2,210 JMD 346.3K

-2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,892 JMD 296.5K

-32.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

27.22%

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 Stony Hill: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $966 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $75.0 in Stony Hill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $301 – 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 – Stony Hill is pricier by about 28%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $2,427 in Stony Hill. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,618 in Stony Hill. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $359 in Stony Hill. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Stony Hill at $1,618. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stony Hill 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, Stony Hill makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.