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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $964 in Necochea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,576 in Necochea, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,189 in Necochea, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Necochea, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Necochea are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Necochea 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.62 ARS 15.8K

10.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$33.12 ARS 49.2K

26.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$9.24 ARS 13.7K

13.74%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.77 ARS 4,112

29.60%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.65 ARS 2,445

-8.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.50 ARS 2,233

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.09 ARS 3,101

41.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.98 ARS 4,421

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.29 ARS 1,916

8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.61 ARS 2,397

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.97 ARS 2,921

-20.81%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.19 ARS 3,251

19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.13 ARS 15.0K

-17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.16 ARS 9,152

35.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

17.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.03 ARS 3,018

33.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.04 ARS 3,026

-25.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.27 ARS 1,888

47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.55 ARS 3,780

-14.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.14 ARS 1,689

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.21 ARS 1,796

84.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.32 ARS 1,953

-18.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.42 ARS 2,105

-23.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.07 ARS 4,566

36.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.72 ARS 7,015

120.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.97 ARS 2,930

-15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.07 ARS 4,556

-14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.84 ARS 1,242

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.53 ARS 2,270

101.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.87 ARS 1,295

175.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.14 ARS 9,124

-49.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.05 ARS 1,566

24.76%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$27.4K ARS 40.6M

8.98%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$29.9K ARS 44.4M

-21.95%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$67.9 ARS 100.9K

19.67%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$16.86 ARS 25.0K

33.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$22.47 ARS 33.4K

33.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$25.89 ARS 38.5K

104.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$13.80 ARS 20.5K

33.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.18 ARS 9,185

-20.39%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$220 ARS 327.1K

-8.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,672 ARS 4.0M

93.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$74.6 ARS 110.8K

-51.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$69.3 ARS 102.9K

-42.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$115 ARS 171.4K

-30.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$111 ARS 165.2K

-22.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$333 ARS 494.4K

193.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$242 ARS 358.7K

94.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$673 ARS 998.7K

145.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$542 ARS 805.5K

121.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,460 ARS 3.7M

60.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,322 ARS 2.0M

399.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

58.5

-80.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Necochea: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $333 in Necochea. 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 $33.00 in Necochea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $228 – making Necochea 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 Necochea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Necochea, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,445 in Necochea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $964 in Necochea. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $220 in Necochea. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Necochea, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Necochea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Necochea costs $964 versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Necochea. 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.