Cost of Living Comparison Between Nueve de Julio and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Nueve de Julio and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Nueve de Julio versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,290 in Nueve de Julio versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,185 in Nueve de Julio versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Nueve de Julio is roughly 10% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nueve de Julio is 2% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 ARS 28.7K

$11.60 MX$200

63.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 ARS 107.6K

$47.11 MX$812

51.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.93 ARS 19.6K

$11.88 MX$205

8.84%

Cappuccino

$4.00 ARS 6,041

$3.98 MX$68.6

0.50%

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

$2.14 ARS 3,236

$1.43 MX$24.60

49.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ARS 2,586

$0.82 MX$14.22

108.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 ARS 5,654

$3.19 MX$55.0

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ARS 6,759

$6.79 MX$117

-34.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ARS 1,619

$1.68 MX$28.89

-36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 ARS 3,766

$2.20 MX$37.88

13.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.71 MX$29.45

-12.28%

Eggs

$1.23 ARS 1,862

$2.74 MX$47.26

-55.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 ARS 15.3K

$9.58 MX$165

5.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 ARS 15.2K

$9.01 MX$155

11.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 ARS 20.9K

$12.81 MX$221

7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ARS 4,177

$2.89 MX$49.81

-4.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ARS 3,206

$1.50 MX$25.81

41.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 2,164

$2.15 MX$37.03

-33.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ARS 3,077

$2.26 MX$38.96

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,800

$1.98 MX$34.15

-39.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,746

$1.99 MX$34.30

-42.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,547

$1.23 MX$21.28

-17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ARS 1,484

$1.20 MX$20.63

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.97 ARS 1,470

$4.55 MX$78.5

-78.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 ARS 8,415

$10.37 MX$179

-46.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ARS 2,222

$1.62 MX$27.91

-9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ARS 2,962

$2.88 MX$49.67

-31.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ARS 1,586

$0.60 MX$10.35

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 ARS 2,485

$5.39 MX$92.9

-69.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ARS 1,529

$3.73 MX$64.3

-72.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ARS 11.6K

$5.77 MX$99.5

32.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,043

$1.54 MX$26.48

-12.34%

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

$28.3K ARS 42.8M

$22.5K MX$388.8K

25.55%

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

$33.4K ARS 50.5M

$26.1K MX$449.3K

28.30%

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

$208 ARS 314.7K

$91.4 MX$1,576

127.76%

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

$25.20 ARS 38.1K

$25.20 MX$435

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.05 ARS 51.5K

$31.24 MX$539

8.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.82 ARS 52.7K

$67.2 MX$1,159

-48.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 ARS 16.7K

$4.86 MX$83.8

127.16%

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

$305 ARS 461.7K

$224 MX$3,856

36.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,759 ARS 13.2M

$4,229 MX$72.9K

107.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 ARS 170.1K

$47.10 MX$812

138.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.4 ARS 136.7K

$44.29 MX$764

104.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 176.2K

$80.1 MX$1,381

45.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ARS 207.8K

$92.7 MX$1,598

48.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ARS 658.5K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-59.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ARS 543.1K

$390 MX$6,728

-7.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ARS 1.4M

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-57.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ARS 1.0M

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-47.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

11.45

393.97%

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

Last update for Nueve de Julio: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $436 in Nueve de Julio and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Nueve de Julio vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $276, with Nueve de Julio cheaper for home cooking.

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

Nueve de Julio vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Nueve de Julio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,093 in Nueve de Julio and $1,899 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: $436 in Nueve de Julio versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Nueve de Julio pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,395 per month in Nueve de Julio versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,395 in Nueve de Julio, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Nueve de Julio. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nueve de Julio 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Nueve de Julio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.