Cost of Living Comparison Between Old Harbour and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Old Harbour and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in Old Harbour versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Old Harbour versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,621 in Old Harbour versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Old Harbour costs roughly 45% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Old Harbour 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 JMD 979

$11.94 MX$208

-47.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.39 JMD 4,944

$42.75 MX$744

-26.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 JMD 782

$10.59 MX$184

-53.07%

Cappuccino

$4.24 JMD 668

$3.62 MX$63.0

17.13%

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

$0.97 JMD 152

$1.47 MX$25.54

-34.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 JMD 95.0

$0.94 MX$16.41

-36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 JMD 398

$3.09 MX$53.8

-18.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 JMD 482

$4.46 MX$77.6

-31.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.34 JMD 684

$1.43 MX$24.80

203.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 JMD 574

$1.88 MX$32.79

94.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JMD 257

$1.63 MX$28.34

Eggs

$3.55 JMD 559

$2.64 MX$45.99

34.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.43 JMD 540

$8.21 MX$143

-58.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 JMD 988

$8.29 MX$144

-24.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.74 JMD 1,219

$11.10 MX$193

-30.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 JMD 963

$2.65 MX$46.14

130.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 489

$1.50 MX$26.11

106.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 JMD 649

$1.99 MX$34.59

107.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 JMD 328

$2.08 MX$36.13

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 317

$1.79 MX$31.11

12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 JMD 302

$2.18 MX$37.87

-11.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 493

$1.08 MX$18.73

189.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 226

$1.04 MX$18.04

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.58 JMD 1,351

$3.97 MX$69.1

116.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 JMD 1,785

$10.20 MX$178

11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 JMD 452

$1.73 MX$30.04

65.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 JMD 496

$2.50 MX$43.46

26.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$3.14 MX$54.7

-65.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 JMD 510

$2.40 MX$41.80

35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 JMD 965

$3.09 MX$53.7

98.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 JMD 169

$1.27 MX$22.16

-15.75%

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

$42.8K JMD 6.7M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

38.75%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

44.96%

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

$49.29 JMD 7,762

$82.0 MX$1,427

-39.90%

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

$22.49 JMD 3,541

$22.45 MX$391

0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.21 JMD 6,805

$29.66 MX$516

45.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 JMD 2,088

$4.97 MX$86.5

166.80%

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

$230 JMD 36.2K

$198 MX$3,442

16.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,485 JMD 391.3K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-52.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.58 JMD 4,029

$36.34 MX$632

-29.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 JMD 4,060

$40.05 MX$697

-35.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 JMD 11.2K

$79.9 MX$1,390

-10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 JMD 12.0K

$88.9 MX$1,547

-14.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

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 %)

9.15

11.42

-19.88%

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

Last update for Old Harbour: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31.00 in Old Harbour vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $251, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Old Harbour and Playa del Carmen differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($711 vs $1,287 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,067 in Old Harbour 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.

Childcare runs $230 in Old Harbour 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 Old Harbour – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $711 in Old Harbour versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Old Harbour but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Old Harbour 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 Old Harbour gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.