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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $859 in Negril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,358 in Negril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,856 in Negril.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 48% more expensive than Negril, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Negril 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$7.46 JMD 1,173

59.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$50.1 JMD 7,882

-14.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$8.56 JMD 1,347

24.42%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.06 JMD 323

67.48%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$1.32 JMD 208

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.76 JMD 119

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$2.47 JMD 389

22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$3.09 JMD 487

49.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$4.21 JMD 662

-67.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$3.49 JMD 549

-46.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.57 JMD 248

2.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$3.41 JMD 536

-24.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$10.85 JMD 1,707

-23.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$6.29 JMD 989

33.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$7.67 JMD 1,206

38.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$5.99 JMD 942

-56.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$3.03 JMD 476

-50.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$4.29 JMD 675

-55.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$2.93 JMD 461

-28.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$2.08 JMD 327

-10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$1.95 JMD 307

15.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$3.07 JMD 484

-65.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$1.49 JMD 234

-26.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$9.03 JMD 1,420

-54.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$11.59 JMD 1,823

-10.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$2.79 JMD 439

-38.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$3.20 JMD 504

-18.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$1.09 JMD 171

187.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$3.24 JMD 510

-22.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$6.15 JMD 967

-48.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$1.28 JMD 201

-0.78%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$42.9K JMD 6.7M

-29.19%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-30.96%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$164 JMD 25.8K

-49.31%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$22.38 JMD 3,520

1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$51.6 JMD 8,121

-42.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$13.20 JMD 2,076

-62.65%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$230 JMD 36.2K

-14.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$2,528 JMD 397.6K

108.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$26.42 JMD 4,156

39.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$25.97 JMD 4,085

53.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$70.8 JMD 11.1K

13.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$984 JMD 154.7K

-2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Negril: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $984 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Negril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $859 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,289 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $984 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 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 $859 in Negril versus $1,271 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 48% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.