Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Juniyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Juniyah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $997 in Juniyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,467 in Juniyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,937 in Juniyah, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 26% more than Juniyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Juniyah are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Juniyah 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$10.80 LBP 966.9K

11.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$39.87 LBP 3.6M

4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.17 LBP 731.5K

31.58%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.94 LBP 173.8K

80.41%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.01 LBP 90.5K

43.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.89 LBP 79.3K

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.52 LBP 314.9K

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$5.02 LBP 449.6K

-10.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.75 LBP 156.2K

-18.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.84 LBP 75.2K

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.35 LBP 120.8K

16.30%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.77 LBP 247.6K

-9.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.05 LBP 988.5K

-25.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.47 LBP 400.0K

88.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.68 LBP 866.0K

10.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.02 LBP 91.7K

155.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.78 LBP 69.7K

84.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.13 LBP 101.1K

73.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.02 LBP 91.4K

104.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.94 LBP 84.1K

96.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.92 LBP 82.3K

135.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.48 LBP 43.1K

114.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.39 LBP 34.9K

174.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.43 LBP 217.5K

68.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.93 LBP 888.8K

2.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.13 LBP 101.3K

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.04 LBP 182.9K

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

-48.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$21.93 LBP 2.0M

18.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.91 LBP 349.8K

-17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.94 LBP 84.5K

156.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$20.08 LBP 1.8M

-83.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.96 LBP 85.7K

37.50%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$21.1K LBP 1.9B

40.58%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.5K LBP 2.3B

-7.06%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$132 LBP 11.8M

-37.89%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$20.25 LBP 1.8M

13.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$27.16 LBP 2.4M

10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$40.23 LBP 3.6M

29.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$10.06 LBP 900.8K

84.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$8.09 LBP 723.8K

-38.44%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$307 LBP 27.4M

-35.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,501 LBP 134.4M

255.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$20.06 LBP 1.8M

77.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$19.72 LBP 1.8M

104.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$52.0 LBP 4.7M

51.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$50.7 LBP 4.5M

75.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$391 LBP 35.0M

142.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$324 LBP 29.0M

46.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$473 LBP 42.4M

247.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$421 LBP 37.7M

187.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$793 LBP 71.0M

715.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.16

2.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Juniyah: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $391 in Juniyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Juniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $187 – making Juniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Juniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 26%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,495 in Juniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Juniyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $40.00 in Juniyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $997 in Juniyah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Juniyah, where all-in costs run around $997, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Juniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Juniyah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Juniyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.