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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Stony Hill is about 16% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 JMD 1,208

$11.94 MX$208

-35.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 JMD 9,982

$42.75 MX$744

48.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 JMD 1,413

$10.59 MX$184

-15.30%

Cappuccino

$4.30 JMD 677

$3.62 MX$63.0

18.78%

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

$1.37 JMD 216

$1.47 MX$25.54

-6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 JMD 102

$0.94 MX$16.41

-30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 JMD 300

$3.09 MX$53.8

-38.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 504

$4.46 MX$77.6

-28.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 JMD 485

$1.43 MX$24.80

115.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 JMD 251

$1.88 MX$32.79

-14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 253

$1.63 MX$28.34

-1.23%

Eggs

$3.33 JMD 525

$2.64 MX$45.99

26.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 JMD 1,714

$8.21 MX$143

32.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 JMD 811

$8.29 MX$144

-37.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.87 JMD 452

$11.10 MX$193

-74.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 JMD 965

$2.65 MX$46.14

131.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 488

$1.50 MX$26.11

106.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 JMD 643

$1.99 MX$34.59

105.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 JMD 402

$2.08 MX$36.13

22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 JMD 329

$1.79 MX$31.11

16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$2.18 MX$37.87

-15.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 JMD 245

$1.08 MX$18.73

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 237

$1.04 MX$18.04

45.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.51 JMD 1,340

$3.97 MX$69.1

114.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,789

$10.20 MX$178

11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 457

$1.73 MX$30.04

67.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 JMD 486

$2.50 MX$43.46

23.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$3.14 MX$54.7

-64.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 JMD 511

$2.40 MX$41.80

35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 993

$3.09 MX$53.7

104.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 JMD 106

$1.27 MX$22.16

-47.24%

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

$31.6K JMD 5.0M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

2.19%

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

$24.6K JMD 3.9M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

5.36%

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

$47.44 JMD 7,471

$82.0 MX$1,427

-42.15%

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

$22.34 JMD 3,518

$22.45 MX$391

-0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.34 JMD 6,511

$29.66 MX$516

39.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 JMD 11.9K

$51.9 MX$903

45.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 JMD 2,945

$18.67 MX$325

0.16%

Cinema Ticket

$12.27 JMD 1,933

$4.97 MX$86.5

146.88%

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

$229 JMD 36.1K

$198 MX$3,442

15.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,515 JMD 396.0K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-52.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.11 JMD 4,112

$36.34 MX$632

-28.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.75 JMD 4,055

$40.05 MX$697

-35.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

$79.9 MX$1,390

-9.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 JMD 11.8K

$88.9 MX$1,547

-15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 JMD 145.8K

$963 MX$16.8K

-3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 JMD 52.3K

$465 MX$8,086

-28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 JMD 350.1K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

39.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 JMD 300.7K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

57.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-21.19%

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

Last update for Stony Hill: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $926 in Stony Hill versus $963 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Stony Hill versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $251 – 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

Stony Hill vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $1,620 per month in Stony Hill and $1,930 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 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 $1,080 in Stony Hill and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $229 per month in Stony Hill and $198 in Playa del Carmen. 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.