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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $861 in Negril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,352 in Negril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,842 in Negril.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 47% more expensive than Negril, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Negril 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$7.30 JMD 1,156

59.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$740

$50.4 JMD 7,977

-15.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$8.96 JMD 1,418

18.30%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$1.97 JMD 311

82.23%

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

$1.45 MX$25.15

$1.35 JMD 214

7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.55

$0.76 JMD 120

18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.5

$2.48 JMD 393

22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.0

$3.07 JMD 485

48.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$4.19 JMD 663

-65.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.64

$3.52 JMD 557

-48.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.85

$1.61 JMD 254

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.95

$3.47 JMD 548

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$11.10 JMD 1,757

-23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$6.23 JMD 986

35.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.73 JMD 1,223

40.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.26

$6.06 JMD 960

-54.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.85

$3.00 JMD 474

-50.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$4.18 JMD 661

-53.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.49

$3.04 JMD 482

-28.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.97

$2.10 JMD 333

-11.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.91

$2.01 JMD 318

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.58

$3.13 JMD 496

-65.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.44 JMD 227

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.3

$9.02 JMD 1,428

-54.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$181

$11.36 JMD 1,799

-7.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.64

$2.78 JMD 440

-40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.13

$3.16 JMD 501

-19.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$454

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.09 JMD 172

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.08

$3.13 JMD 495

-24.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.14 JMD 972

-47.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.76

$1.29 JMD 205

1.55%

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

$30.5K MX$528.9K

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

-29.16%

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

$23.8K MX$412.6K

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

-29.01%

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

$83.1 MX$1,440

$164 JMD 26.0K

-49.35%

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

$22.15 MX$384

$22.52 JMD 3,564

-1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$509

$51.2 JMD 8,105

-42.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$887

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.7

$12.95 JMD 2,050

-62.24%

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

$199 MX$3,441

$230 JMD 36.4K

-13.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.2K

$2,512 JMD 397.6K

107.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$622

$25.57 JMD 4,047

40.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$682

$25.37 JMD 4,015

55.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,391

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,517

$77.5 JMD 12.3K

13.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$1,011 JMD 160.0K

-4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,350

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Negril: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,011 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $50 in Negril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $348 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Negril differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,262 vs $861 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,894 in Playa del Carmen and $1,292 in Negril 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,011 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $230 in Negril. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negril – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Negril versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Negril but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Negril 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 Negril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.