Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port-au-Prince and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,323 in Port-au-Prince, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Port-au-Prince outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

102

Cost of Living Index in Port-au-Prince
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Port-au-Prince Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Port-au-Prince

🇭🇹 Haiti

$1,323

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port-au-Prince and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port-au-Prince and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Port-au-Prince vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port-au-Prince $1,323
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,066 per month in Port-au-Prince vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port-au-Prince $2,066
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $2,809 per month in Port-au-Prince vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port-au-Prince $2,809
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Port-au-Prince costs about 10% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port-au-Prince and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Port-au-Prince 2% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 HTG 409

$1.47 MX$27.17

113.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 HTG 349

$2.22 MX$40.95

20.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 HTG 300

$1.48 MX$27.32

56.08%

Eggs

$5.38 HTG 701

$2.49 MX$45.99

116.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 HTG 792

$7.52 MX$139

-19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 HTG 781

$7.96 MX$147

-24.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 HTG 1,264

$12.57 MX$232

-22.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 HTG 560

$2.78 MX$51.3

54.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 HTG 204

$1.43 MX$26.37

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 HTG 161

$2.62 MX$48.37

-52.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 HTG 309

$2.14 MX$39.49

10.75%

Potato (1kg)

$5.39 HTG 702

$2.02 MX$37.38

166.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 HTG 278

$1.99 MX$36.74

7.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 HTG 187

$1.14 MX$21.01

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 HTG 181

$1.20 MX$22.18

15.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 HTG 196

$4.26 MX$78.7

-64.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 HTG 2,022

$10.02 MX$185

54.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 HTG 209

$1.54 MX$28.41

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 HTG 307

$2.66 MX$49.17

-11.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 HTG 26.43

$0.53 MX$9.73

-62.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.25 HTG 2,637

$27.51 MX$508

-26.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 HTG 47.31

$4.90 MX$90.6

-92.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 HTG 53.6

$3.43 MX$63.5

-88.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.24 HTG 2,635

$5.38 MX$99.4

276.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 HTG 146

$1.45 MX$26.76

-22.76%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$49.47 HTG 6,443

$23.46 MX$434

110.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 HTG 1,327

$5.10 MX$94.3

99.80%

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 HTG 9,868

$41.35 MX$764

83.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 HTG 119.5K

$979 MX$18.1K

-6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 HTG 116.6K

$373 MX$6,887

140.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 HTG 278.1K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 HTG 241.6K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

69.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,674 HTG 218.0K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-57.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,470 HTG 191.5K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-76.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Port-au-Prince: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Port-au-Prince

$895 67.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 58.4% $522

Groceries & Markets

Port-au-Prince

$301 22.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 14% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port-au-Prince

$49 * 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 177% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Port-au-Prince

$34 * 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 227% $78

Getting Around

Port-au-Prince

$23 1.8%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 120% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Port-au-Prince

$20 * 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 255% $52

Eating Out

Port-au-Prince

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Port-au-Prince versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇭🇹 Port-au-Prince

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

1 h behind Port-au-Prince

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,275,000 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Haitian Gourde HTG G

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HTG = 7.68 USD

1,000 HTG = 6.83 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to HTG – Haitian Gourde Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇹 Haitian Gourde (G)

Haitian Gourde exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 130 HTG (1,000 HTG = 7.68 USD). 1 EUR = 146 HTG (1,000 HTG = 6.83 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to HTG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port-au-Prince Playa del Carmen 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Port-au-Prince
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Port-au-Prince vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port-au-Prince is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,985 per month in Port-au-Prince and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Port-au-Prince, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Port-au-Prince at $1,323. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port-au-Prince 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, Port-au-Prince makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.