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

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

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

Stony Hill costs about 28% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.93 JMD 2,497

$11.60 MX$199

37.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 JMD 11.7K

$47.11 MX$809

58.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 JMD 1,415

$11.88 MX$204

-23.99%

Cappuccino

$5.49 JMD 860

$3.98 MX$68.2

37.94%

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

$1.16 JMD 182

$1.43 MX$24.49

-18.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 JMD 103

$0.82 MX$14.16

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 JMD 296

$3.19 MX$54.7

-40.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 JMD 492

$6.79 MX$117

-53.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 JMD 511

$1.68 MX$28.76

94.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 JMD 244

$2.20 MX$37.71

-29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 JMD 259

$1.71 MX$29.32

-3.51%

Eggs

$3.32 JMD 521

$2.74 MX$47.05

21.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 JMD 1,809

$9.58 MX$164

20.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 JMD 785

$9.01 MX$155

-44.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.83 JMD 443

$12.81 MX$220

-77.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 JMD 956

$2.89 MX$49.58

111.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.81 JMD 598

$1.50 MX$25.70

154.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 JMD 649

$2.15 MX$36.87

92.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 JMD 406

$2.26 MX$38.79

14.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 JMD 441

$1.98 MX$34.00

42.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 303

$1.99 MX$34.15

-3.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 JMD 244

$1.23 MX$21.18

26.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 229

$1.20 MX$20.54

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 JMD 1,487

$4.55 MX$78.1

108.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 JMD 1,778

$10.37 MX$178

9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 JMD 462

$1.62 MX$27.79

82.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 JMD 626

$2.88 MX$49.44

38.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 JMD 190

$5.39 MX$92.5

-77.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 494

$3.73 MX$64.0

-15.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 JMD 984

$5.77 MX$99.0

8.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 JMD 105

$1.54 MX$26.37

-56.49%

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

$31.1K JMD 4.9M

$22.5K MX$387.0K

38.01%

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

$25.3K JMD 4.0M

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-3.04%

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

$46.75 JMD 7,327

$91.4 MX$1,569

-48.84%

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

$21.94 JMD 3,438

$25.20 MX$433

-12.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.99 JMD 6,581

$31.24 MX$536

34.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 JMD 11.9K

$67.2 MX$1,154

12.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.03 JMD 2,983

$29.11 MX$500

-34.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 JMD 1,976

$4.86 MX$83.5

159.47%

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

$359 JMD 56.2K

$224 MX$3,839

60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,362 JMD 1.3M

$4,229 MX$72.6K

97.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.80 JMD 3,729

$47.10 MX$808

-49.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.43 JMD 4,925

$44.29 MX$760

-29.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

$80.1 MX$1,375

-4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.1K

$92.7 MX$1,591

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 JMD 151.4K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 JMD 117.0K

$390 MX$6,698

91.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 JMD 346.3K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

2.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 JMD 296.5K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

48.72%

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

-21.40%

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

Last update for Stony Hill: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $966 in Stony Hill versus $1,063 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 $75.0 in Stony Hill versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $276 – 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 – 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 $2,427 per month in Stony Hill and $1,899 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.

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

Kindergarten costs $359 per month in Stony Hill and $224 in Playa del Carmen. 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.