Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waikiki, HI and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $3,148 in Waikiki, HI, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Waikiki, HI
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Waikiki, HI Living Index
57

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

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Waikiki, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,148

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waikiki, HI 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 Waikiki, HI and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,148 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $3,148
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $4,580 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $4,580
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $6,011 per month in Waikiki, HI vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waikiki, HI $6,011
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Waikiki, HI costs about 162% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Waikiki, HI sits 133% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.12 $25.12

$10.67 MX$198

135.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 $140

$43.80 MX$813

219.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.23 $15.23

$11.79 MX$219

29.18%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$3.79 MX$70.3

56.73%

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

$5.06 $5.06

$1.30 MX$24.07

289.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$0.83 MX$15.47

337.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.44 $10.44

$3.15 MX$58.4

231.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.37 $11.37

$4.93 MX$91.6

130.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.41 MX$26.14

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.20 MX$40.75

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$1.47 MX$27.33

589.80%

Eggs

$8.84 $8.84

$2.50 MX$46.34

253.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$7.29 MX$135

71.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.34 $20.34

$7.95 MX$148

155.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.60 $21.60

$12.86 MX$239

67.96%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$2.90 MX$53.8

184.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.38 MX$25.67

21.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$2.49 MX$46.23

178.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$2.03 MX$37.67

359.11%

Potato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.02 MX$37.58

140.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.90 MX$35.32

156.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.14 MX$21.24

364.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.24 MX$22.99

145.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.88 $12.88

$4.27 MX$79.3

201.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 $18.20

$9.81 MX$182

85.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.59 MX$29.43

69.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.75 MX$51.0

106.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.51 MX$9.56

341.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$27.39 MX$508

118.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.76 MX$88.4

-24.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.25 MX$60.3

-18.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.63 $45.63

$5.39 MX$100

746.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.53 MX$28.36

-1.96%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.2K MX$393.7K

70.06%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.3K MX$431.7K

14.38%

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

$250 $250

$83.5 MX$1,549

199.74%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$23.19 MX$430

181.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$27.61 MX$512

133.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 $41.02

$56.4 MX$1,047

-27.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$523

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 $19.78

$5.00 MX$92.8

295.60%

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

$2,118 $2,118

$207 MX$3,843

922.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K $28.2K

$5,231 MX$97.1K

439.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 $63.7

$43.45 MX$806

46.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.25 $47.25

$42.54 MX$789

11.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$72.8 MX$1,350

41.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$88.4 MX$1,640

50.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$995 MX$18.5K

62.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 $1,424

$382 MX$7,097

272.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 $2,612

$1,674 MX$31.1K

56.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 $1,965

$1,081 MX$20.1K

81.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,676 $2,676

$3,909 MX$72.5K

-31.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,422 $2,422

$6,138 MX$113.9K

-60.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.45

-40.70%

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

Last update for Waikiki, HI: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waikiki, HI

$1.4K 45.2%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 73.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Waikiki, HI

$594 18.9%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 56.7% $337

Eating Out

Waikiki, HI

$428 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 53.2% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waikiki, HI

$380 12.1%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 64.7% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Waikiki, HI

$156 5%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 28.7% $45

Getting Around

Waikiki, HI

$86 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 41.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Waikiki, HI

$81 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 17.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Waikiki, HI versus $995 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 $140 in Waikiki, HI versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $594 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waikiki, HI

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

5 h ahead of Waikiki, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,862

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Waikiki, HI Playa del Carmen 7,280 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Waikiki, HI
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

Waikiki, HI vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waikiki, HI is pricier by about 162%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,722 per month in Waikiki, HI and $1,804 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,612 in Waikiki, HI.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,148 in Waikiki, HI and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 62% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 54% 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 $1,202, than in Waikiki, HI at $3,148. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waikiki, HI 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.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 62% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.