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: $1,159 in Nueve de Julio versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Nueve de Julio versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,692 in Nueve de Julio versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Nueve de Julio costs roughly 8% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nueve de Julio 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 ARS 22.4K

$11.72 MX$203

28.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 ARS 87.6K

$41.89 MX$725

40.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 ARS 18.1K

$10.51 MX$182

16.08%

Cappuccino

$4.10 ARS 6,084

$3.59 MX$62.0

14.21%

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

$2.16 ARS 3,210

$1.51 MX$26.10

43.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ARS 2,176

$0.92 MX$15.83

59.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ARS 5,415

$2.96 MX$51.2

23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 ARS 5,907

$4.41 MX$76.3

-9.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ARS 1,609

$1.40 MX$24.16

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 ARS 3,793

$1.88 MX$32.60

35.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ARS 3,332

$1.56 MX$26.97

43.59%

Eggs

$1.21 ARS 1,801

$2.61 MX$45.14

-53.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.13 ARS 18.0K

$8.32 MX$144

45.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 ARS 12.0K

$8.35 MX$145

-2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ARS 14.3K

$10.86 MX$188

-11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 ARS 3,720

$2.71 MX$46.93

-7.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 3,056

$1.51 MX$26.04

36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,870

$1.87 MX$32.41

-32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ARS 3,329

$2.19 MX$37.89

2.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 2,128

$1.86 MX$32.14

-23.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,190

$2.23 MX$38.59

-33.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ARS 1,451

$1.07 MX$18.48

-8.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ARS 1,506

$1.09 MX$18.79

-7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.01 ARS 1,507

$4.19 MX$72.4

-75.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,612

$10.43 MX$180

-44.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ARS 2,104

$1.66 MX$28.68

-14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ARS 2,952

$2.61 MX$45.19

-23.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 ARS 1,163

$0.54 MX$9.37

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 ARS 2,441

$3.08 MX$53.3

-46.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ARS 1,381

$2.40 MX$41.61

-61.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 ARS 8,853

$3.13 MX$54.1

90.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,659

$1.31 MX$22.69

-14.50%

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

$24.8K ARS 36.8M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-16.89%

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

$29.1K ARS 43.3M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

24.98%

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

$110 ARS 163.7K

$81.3 MX$1,406

35.65%

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

$21.09 ARS 31.3K

$22.56 MX$390

-6.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.62 ARS 42.5K

$30.05 MX$520

-4.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.72 ARS 38.2K

$52.9 MX$915

-51.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.55 ARS 20.1K

$18.39 MX$318

-26.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.88 ARS 13.2K

$4.92 MX$85.1

80.49%

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

$329 ARS 489.2K

$201 MX$3,474

64.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,190 ARS 7.7M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

0.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 ARS 164.1K

$35.92 MX$622

207.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.5 ARS 127.0K

$40.13 MX$694

113.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 ARS 182.7K

$79.7 MX$1,379

54.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ARS 195.0K

$86.5 MX$1,496

51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 ARS 500.8K

$978 MX$16.9K

-65.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ARS 355.7K

$470 MX$8,140

-49.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 ARS 1.0M

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-58.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 ARS 790.4K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-55.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,953 ARS 2.9M

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-50.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,360 ARS 2.0M

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-79.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

11.42

361.56%

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

Last update for Nueve de Julio: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $337 in Nueve de Julio and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Nueve de Julio vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $252, 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

Nueve de Julio wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nueve de Julio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,738 in Nueve de Julio and $1,890 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: $337 in Nueve de Julio versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,159 per month in Nueve de Julio versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Nueve de Julio versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nueve de Julio but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nueve de Julio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nueve de Julio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,159 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nueve de Julio 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 Nueve de Julio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.