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: $861 in Negril versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Negril versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,842 in Negril versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Negril costs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Negril 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 JMD 1,156

$11.61 MX$201

-37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 JMD 7,977

$42.75 MX$740

17.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 JMD 1,418

$10.60 MX$184

-15.47%

Cappuccino

$1.97 JMD 311

$3.59 MX$62.2

-45.13%

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

$1.35 JMD 214

$1.45 MX$25.15

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 JMD 120

$0.90 MX$15.55

-15.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 JMD 393

$3.03 MX$52.5

-18.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 485

$4.56 MX$79.0

-32.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.19 JMD 663

$1.45 MX$25.14

188.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 JMD 557

$1.83 MX$31.64

92.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 254

$1.61 MX$27.85

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 548

$2.54 MX$43.95

36.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 JMD 1,757

$8.54 MX$148

29.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 JMD 986

$8.47 MX$147

-26.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 JMD 1,223

$10.86 MX$188

-28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 JMD 960

$2.73 MX$47.26

121.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 474

$1.49 MX$25.85

101.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 JMD 661

$1.94 MX$33.65

115.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 JMD 482

$2.16 MX$37.49

40.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 333

$1.85 MX$31.97

13.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 318

$2.19 MX$37.91

-8.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 496

$1.07 MX$18.58

192.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 227

$1.08 MX$18.76

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 JMD 1,428

$4.06 MX$70.3

122.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,799

$10.46 MX$181

8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 440

$1.65 MX$28.64

68.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 JMD 501

$2.55 MX$44.13

23.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$454

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 172

$3.14 MX$54.4

-65.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 JMD 495

$2.37 MX$41.08

32.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 JMD 972

$3.24 MX$56.1

89.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 JMD 205

$1.31 MX$22.76

-1.53%

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

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

$30.5K MX$528.9K

41.16%

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

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

$23.8K MX$412.6K

40.86%

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

$164 JMD 26.0K

$83.1 MX$1,440

97.41%

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

$22.52 JMD 3,564

$22.15 MX$384

1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 JMD 8,105

$29.37 MX$509

74.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$887

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 JMD 2,050

$4.89 MX$84.7

164.83%

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

$230 JMD 36.4K

$199 MX$3,441

15.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,512 JMD 397.6K

$5,207 MX$90.2K

-51.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.57 JMD 4,047

$35.93 MX$622

-28.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.37 JMD 4,015

$39.39 MX$682

-35.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

$80.3 MX$1,391

-10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.5 JMD 12.3K

$87.6 MX$1,517

-11.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 JMD 160.0K

$963 MX$16.7K

4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,350

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.42

-19.88%

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

Last update for Negril: April 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,011 in Negril and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in Negril vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $253 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 47% in total monthly costs ($861 vs $1,262 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,292 in Negril and $1,894 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: $1,011 in Negril versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Negril versus $199 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 $50.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Negril versus $1,262 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 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.