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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,106 in Stony Hill, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,445 in Stony Hill, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,785 in Stony Hill, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% 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 5% lower, Stony Hill 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.46 JMD 1,175

57.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$63.8 JMD 10.1K

-34.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.57 JMD 1,349

22.64%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$4.26 JMD 671

-15.73%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.32 JMD 208

14.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.64 JMD 101

43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.85 JMD 291

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.14 JMD 495

40.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$3.21 JMD 505

-56.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.58 JMD 249

18.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.56 JMD 246

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.42 JMD 539

-23.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.26 JMD 1,773

-26.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.08 JMD 799

64.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$2.74 JMD 432

296.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$6.13 JMD 965

-55.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$3.14 JMD 495

-51.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$4.01 JMD 631

-53.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.49 JMD 391

-12.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.09 JMD 328

-11.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.86 JMD 294

19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.53 JMD 242

-30.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.46 JMD 229

-25.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$8.81 JMD 1,387

-52.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$11.21 JMD 1,766

-6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.82 JMD 444

-41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.08 JMD 485

-15.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.11 JMD 175

177.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.11 JMD 490

-22.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.21 JMD 978

-49.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.68 JMD 107

92.65%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$31.7K JMD 5.0M

-5.87%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$25.3K JMD 4.0M

-7.70%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$47.89 JMD 7,542

69.72%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$21.64 JMD 3,408

4.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$40.48 JMD 6,375

-25.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$75.8 JMD 11.9K

-30.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$18.46 JMD 2,908

-0.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$12.62 JMD 1,987

-61.01%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$227 JMD 35.7K

-11.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,479 JMD 390.5K

108.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$25.98 JMD 4,091

38.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$25.13 JMD 3,958

59.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

14.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$928 JMD 146.1K

5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$337 JMD 53.0K

39.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$2,209 JMD 347.8K

-25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,858 JMD 292.6K

-35.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Stony Hill: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $928 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $64.0 in Stony Hill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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 14%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,658 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,106 in Stony Hill. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $227 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 $1,106, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.