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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $948 in Negril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,482 in Negril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,016 in Negril.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than in Negril, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Negril 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.40 JMD 1,476

27.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$50.8 JMD 7,981

-6.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.93 JMD 1,403

31.58%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.05 JMD 322

100.98%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.24 JMD 195

12.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.73 JMD 115

24.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.25 JMD 354

42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.20 JMD 502

120.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$4.22 JMD 663

-60.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$3.57 JMD 561

-39.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.62 JMD 255

9.26%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.60 JMD 565

-21.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.32 JMD 1,777

-18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.19 JMD 972

49.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.20 JMD 1,602

23.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$6.22 JMD 977

-52.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$4.01 JMD 629

-60.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$7.55 JMD 1,186

-70.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.97 JMD 466

-20.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$3.31 JMD 519

-39.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.67 JMD 419

-25.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$3.00 JMD 471

-58.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.45 JMD 228

-16.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$9.53 JMD 1,497

-51.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.53 JMD 1,812

-8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.85 JMD 447

-40.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.99 JMD 626

-30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.21 JMD 191

333.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.25 JMD 511

12.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.17 JMD 970

-6.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.40 JMD 219

10.00%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$44.1K JMD 6.9M

-48.28%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$32.7K JMD 5.1M

-21.11%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$175 JMD 27.5K

-48.22%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$29.72 JMD 4,669

-15.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$53.8 JMD 8,448

-40.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$13.46 JMD 2,114

-63.89%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$367 JMD 57.6K

-38.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$8,347 JMD 1.3M

-49.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$23.68 JMD 3,719

100.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$31.28 JMD 4,914

38.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$102 JMD 16.0K

-10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$1,010 JMD 158.7K

7.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.45

21.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Negril: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $1,010 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $51.0 in Negril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $384 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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $948 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,422 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,010 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $367 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 $51.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $948 in Negril versus $1,305 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 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.