Cost of Living Comparison Between Herceg Novi and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Herceg Novi and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,282 in Herceg Novi versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,079 in Herceg Novi versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Herceg Novi versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Herceg Novi costs roughly 1% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Herceg Novi 7% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 €9.80

$11.71 MX$198

-2.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.04 €32.71

$46.59 MX$788

-18.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 €7.86

$11.65 MX$197

-21.55%

Cappuccino

$2.61 €2.24

$4.09 MX$69.2

-36.19%

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

$2.56 €2.20

$1.37 MX$23.23

86.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.83 MX$14.09

97.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 €2.51

$3.35 MX$56.7

-12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.03

$6.91 MX$117

-48.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.73 MX$29.20

-30.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 €0.86

$2.26 MX$38.21

-55.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$1.77 MX$29.91

66.10%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.66

$2.73 MX$46.19

13.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 €7.90

$9.18 MX$155

0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 €6.39

$8.92 MX$151

-16.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 €11.18

$12.60 MX$213

3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 €1.15

$3.02 MX$51.1

-55.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.57 MX$26.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.13 MX$35.93

-21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.26 MX$38.28

32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 €0.78

$2.00 MX$33.88

-54.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.06 MX$34.90

-33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.18 MX$19.94

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.20 MX$20.35

-17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 €3.44

$4.63 MX$78.4

-13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 €3.90

$10.69 MX$181

-57.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.62 MX$27.38

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.88 MX$48.70

-36.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.57 MX$9.69

214.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.38 €40.73

$29.83 MX$504

58.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 €2.66

$5.45 MX$92.1

-43.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 €1.02

$3.70 MX$62.6

-68.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.63 €15.15

$5.98 MX$101

194.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.55 MX$26.26

16.13%

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

$33.8K €29.0K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

51.21%

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

$21.8K €18.8K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

-15.85%

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

$137 €118

$89.1 MX$1,507

53.98%

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

$13.28 €11.42

$25.04 MX$423

-46.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.68 €30.67

$31.50 MX$532

13.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €49.67

$67.8 MX$1,146

-14.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.71 €10.07

$28.92 MX$489

-59.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.31 €7.14

$5.05 MX$85.4

64.55%

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

$466 €400

$225 MX$3,803

107.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,235 €6,220

$4,222 MX$71.4K

71.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €73.9

$47.44 MX$802

81.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 €30.41

$44.98 MX$760

-21.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 €64.2

$82.0 MX$1,386

-8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 €84.0

$92.1 MX$1,557

6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 €587

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-36.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 €357

$405 MX$6,852

2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 €1,120

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-32.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$927 €797

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-28.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,887 €3,342

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-2.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,457 €2,112

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-62.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 €919

$749 MX$12.7K

42.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Herceg Novi: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $682 in Herceg Novi and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Herceg Novi pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Herceg Novi vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $277 per month, with Herceg Novi cheaper across the board.

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

Herceg Novi vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Herceg Novi and Playa del Carmen differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,282 vs $1,293 including rent). Herceg Novi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Herceg Novi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $682 in Herceg Novi versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Herceg Novi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,282 in Herceg Novi versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Herceg Novi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Herceg Novi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Herceg Novi and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Herceg Novi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.