Cost of Living Comparison Between Ocho Rios and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ocho Rios and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $908 in Ocho Rios versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,942 in Ocho Rios versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,976 in Ocho Rios versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ocho Rios costs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ocho Rios 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 JMD 1,195

$11.94 MX$208

-36.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 JMD 9,768

$42.75 MX$744

45.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 JMD 970

$10.59 MX$184

-41.83%

Cappuccino

$2.64 JMD 416

$3.62 MX$63.0

-27.07%

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

$1.38 JMD 217

$1.47 MX$25.54

-6.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 113

$0.94 MX$16.41

-24.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 354

$3.09 MX$53.8

-27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 JMD 499

$4.46 MX$77.6

-28.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.11 JMD 647

$1.43 MX$24.80

187.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 JMD 427

$1.88 MX$32.79

44.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 246

$1.63 MX$28.34

-4.29%

Eggs

$3.56 JMD 561

$2.64 MX$45.99

34.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 JMD 1,068

$8.21 MX$143

-17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 JMD 1,029

$8.29 MX$144

-21.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 JMD 1,225

$11.10 MX$193

-29.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.83 JMD 918

$2.65 MX$46.14

120.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 JMD 481

$1.50 MX$26.11

103.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 JMD 660

$1.99 MX$34.59

110.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 JMD 365

$2.08 MX$36.13

11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 JMD 326

$1.79 MX$31.11

15.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$2.18 MX$37.87

-11.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 JMD 330

$1.08 MX$18.73

94.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 JMD 171

$1.04 MX$18.04

4.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.81 JMD 1,387

$3.97 MX$69.1

121.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 JMD 1,456

$10.20 MX$178

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 JMD 388

$1.73 MX$30.04

42.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 JMD 461

$2.50 MX$43.46

17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 JMD 240

$0.52 MX$9.02

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 JMD 103

$3.14 MX$54.7

-79.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 JMD 157

$2.40 MX$41.80

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 JMD 962

$3.09 MX$53.7

97.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 193

$1.27 MX$22.16

-3.15%

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

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

39.57%

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

$33.7K JMD 5.3M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

44.71%

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

$107 JMD 16.9K

$82.0 MX$1,427

30.53%

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

$22.08 JMD 3,477

$22.45 MX$391

-1.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.01 JMD 6,144

$29.66 MX$516

31.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.63 JMD 2,462

$51.9 MX$903

-69.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.56 JMD 875

$18.67 MX$325

-70.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 JMD 1,783

$4.97 MX$86.5

127.77%

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

$226 JMD 35.6K

$198 MX$3,442

14.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,454 JMD 386.5K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-53.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.49 JMD 2,440

$36.34 MX$632

-57.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.62 JMD 1,987

$40.05 MX$697

-68.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.97 JMD 7,870

$79.9 MX$1,390

-37.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 JMD 9,810

$88.9 MX$1,547

-29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 JMD 58.9K

$963 MX$16.8K

-61.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 JMD 29.6K

$465 MX$8,086

-59.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 JMD 191.7K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-23.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 JMD 188.5K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-1.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-56.22%

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

Last update for Ocho Rios: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $374 in Ocho Rios and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Ocho Rios vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $251 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

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

Ocho Rios is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,362 in Ocho Rios and $1,930 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: $374 in Ocho Rios versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Ocho Rios versus $198 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 Ocho Rios – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $908 in Ocho Rios versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ocho Rios but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ocho Rios the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ocho Rios is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Ocho Rios gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.