Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,600 in Wailuku, HI, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Wailuku, HI
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Wailuku, HI Living Index
58

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

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Wailuku, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,600

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,600 per month in Wailuku, HI vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Wailuku, HI $2,600
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,819 per month in Wailuku, HI vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Wailuku, HI $3,819
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,038 per month in Wailuku, HI vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Wailuku, HI $5,038
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Wailuku, HI costs about 116% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Wailuku, HI sits 91% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$10.92 MX$204

80.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$43.37 MX$808

74.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.63 $11.63

$11.78 MX$220

-1.27%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$3.81 MX$71.0

42.26%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.28 MX$23.90

110.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.78 MX$14.59

152.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.17 MX$59.0

84.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 $7.28

$4.93 MX$92.0

47.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.41 MX$26.22

-28.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.22 MX$41.33

56.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.42 MX$26.42

200.00%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.52 MX$47.03

64.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$7.26 MX$135

73.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$7.70 MX$143

52.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$12.69 MX$237

34.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.78 MX$51.9

82.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.37 MX$25.50

11.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.55 MX$47.55

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.12 MX$39.58

118.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.94 MX$36.13

47.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.89 MX$35.16

59.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.15 MX$21.37

82.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.18 MX$21.98

87.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$4.30 MX$80.1

117.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$9.95 MX$185

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.58 MX$29.52

15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.67 MX$49.79

25.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.55 MX$10.31

270.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.3 $60.3

$26.62 MX$496

126.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 $3.14

$4.97 MX$92.6

-36.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.33 MX$62.1

-48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.66 $31.66

$5.36 MX$99.8

490.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.44 MX$26.92

9.72%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

37.98%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

10.76%

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

$197 $197

$84.8 MX$1,581

132.89%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$23.41 MX$436

167.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$28.66 MX$534

140.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.71 $34.71

$57.1 MX$1,063

-39.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$70.2 $70.2

$28.91 MX$539

142.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 $13.95

$5.14 MX$95.8

171.40%

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

$1,361 $1,361

$207 MX$3,851

558.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

492.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.35 MX$808

20.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.19 $41.19

$41.44 MX$772

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$74.2 MX$1,383

18.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$89.3 MX$1,664

25.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$980 MX$18.3K

60.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$381 MX$7,099

235.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 $2,539

$1,708 MX$31.8K

48.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 $2,059

$1,075 MX$20.0K

91.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,848 $2,848

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-27.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 $2,492

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-59.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for Wailuku, HI: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wailuku, HI

$1.3K 49.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 70.2% $899

Groceries & Markets

Wailuku, HI

$397 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 35.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wailuku, HI

$329 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 58.4% $192

Eating Out

Wailuku, HI

$320 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 36.7% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Wailuku, HI

$132 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 15.3% $20

Getting Around

Wailuku, HI

$80 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 37.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Wailuku, HI

$63 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 7.5% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in Wailuku, HI versus $980 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 $76 in Wailuku, HI versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wailuku, HI

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

5 h ahead of Wailuku, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,313

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wailuku, HI Playa del Carmen 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Wailuku, 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

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

Yes – Wailuku, HI is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,900 per month in Wailuku, HI 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,575 in Wailuku, HI.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,600 in Wailuku, HI and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 116%.

Public transport costs about 56% 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 Wailuku, HI at $2,600. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wailuku, 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 the 116% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.