Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Herceg Novi Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Herceg Novi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,282 in Herceg Novi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,079 in Herceg Novi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,876 in Herceg Novi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1% more expensive than in Herceg Novi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Herceg Novi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$11.40 €9.80

2.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$38.04 €32.71

22.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.14 €7.86

27.46%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.61 €2.24

56.70%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$2.56 €2.20

-46.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$1.64 €1.41

-49.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.92 €2.51

14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.53 €3.03

95.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.20 €1.03

44.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.00 €0.86

126.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$2.94 €2.53

-39.80%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$3.10 €2.66

-11.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$9.19 €7.90

-0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$7.43 €6.39

20.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$13.00 €11.18

-3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.34 €1.15

125.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.57 €1.35

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.67 €1.44

27.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$2.99 €2.57

-24.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$0.91 €0.78

119.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.36 €1.17

51.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.50 €1.29

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.99 €0.85

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$4.00 €3.44

15.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$4.53 €3.90

135.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.32 €1.14

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.84 €1.59

56.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.79 €1.54

-68.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$47.38 €40.73

-37.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$3.10 €2.66

75.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.18 €1.02

213.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$17.63 €15.15

-66.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.80 €1.55

-13.89%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$33.8K €29.0K

-33.86%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$21.8K €18.8K

18.83%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$137 €118

-35.06%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$13.28 €11.42

88.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$35.68 €30.67

-11.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$57.8 €49.67

17.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$11.71 €10.07

146.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$8.31 €7.14

-39.23%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$466 €400

-51.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$7,235 €6,220

-41.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$85.9 €73.9

-44.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$35.37 €30.41

27.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$74.6 €64.2

9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$97.7 €84.0

-5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$682 €587

56.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$415 €357

-2.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,303 €1,120

48.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$927 €797

40.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$3,887 €3,342

2.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$2,457 €2,112

169.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$1,069 €919

-29.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Herceg Novi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $682 in Herceg Novi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Herceg Novi pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Herceg Novi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $230 per month, with Herceg Novi 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

Playa del Carmen vs Herceg Novi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Herceg Novi differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,282 including rent). Herceg Novi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Herceg Novi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $682 in Herceg Novi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Herceg Novi – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,282 in Herceg Novi versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Herceg Novi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Herceg Novi 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Herceg Novi 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 Herceg Novi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.