Cost of Living Comparison Between Negril and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Negril and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Negril versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,482 in Negril versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,016 in Negril versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Negril costs roughly 27% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Negril 31% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.40 JMD 1,476

$11.96 MX$203

-21.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 JMD 7,981

$47.38 MX$804

7.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 JMD 1,403

$11.75 MX$199

-24.00%

Cappuccino

$2.05 JMD 322

$4.12 MX$70.0

-50.24%

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

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.40 MX$23.74

-11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 JMD 115

$0.91 MX$15.48

-19.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 354

$3.21 MX$54.4

-29.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$7.07 MX$120

-54.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.22 JMD 663

$1.68 MX$28.44

151.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 JMD 561

$2.15 MX$36.48

66.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 255

$1.77 MX$30.10

-8.47%

Eggs

$3.60 JMD 565

$2.82 MX$47.76

27.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 JMD 1,777

$9.20 MX$156

23.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 972

$9.23 MX$157

-32.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 JMD 1,602

$12.64 MX$214

-19.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.22 JMD 977

$2.95 MX$50.1

110.85%

Banana (1kg)

$4.01 JMD 629

$1.58 MX$26.79

153.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.55 JMD 1,186

$2.22 MX$37.70

240.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 JMD 466

$2.36 MX$40.09

25.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 JMD 519

$1.99 MX$33.81

66.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 JMD 419

$1.98 MX$33.58

34.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 JMD 471

$1.24 MX$21.04

141.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$1.21 MX$20.55

19.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.53 JMD 1,497

$4.60 MX$78.1

107.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,812

$10.52 MX$178

9.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 JMD 447

$1.69 MX$28.70

68.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 JMD 626

$2.77 MX$47.06

44.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 JMD 191

$5.24 MX$88.8

-76.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 JMD 511

$3.65 MX$61.9

-10.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 JMD 970

$5.78 MX$98.1

6.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 JMD 219

$1.54 MX$26.09

-9.09%

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

$44.1K JMD 6.9M

$22.8K MX$386.8K

93.34%

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

$32.7K JMD 5.1M

$25.8K MX$437.9K

26.76%

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

$175 JMD 27.5K

$90.7 MX$1,538

93.11%

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

$29.72 JMD 4,669

$25.19 MX$427

17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 JMD 8,448

$31.75 MX$539

69.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 JMD 2,114

$4.86 MX$82.5

176.95%

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

$367 JMD 57.6K

$226 MX$3,828

62.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,347 JMD 1.3M

$4,194 MX$71.1K

99.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.68 JMD 3,719

$47.38 MX$804

-50.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.28 JMD 4,914

$43.45 MX$737

-28.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

$80.2 MX$1,361

-1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.0K

$91.4 MX$1,550

11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 JMD 158.7K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.45

-17.47%

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

Last update for Negril: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Negril and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Negril vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $278 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Negril and Playa del Carmen differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($948 vs $1,305 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,422 in Negril and $1,958 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,010 in Negril versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $367 in Negril versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negril – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $948 in Negril versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Negril but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Negril 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.

Expats usually find Negril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.