Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nueve de Julio Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nueve de Julio

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,395 in Nueve de Julio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,290 in Nueve de Julio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,185 in Nueve de Julio.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 9% less than in Nueve de Julio, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Nueve de Julio is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$18.98 ARS 28.7K

-38.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$71.1 ARS 107.6K

-33.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$12.93 ARS 19.6K

-8.12%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.00 ARS 6,041

-0.50%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.14 ARS 3,236

-33.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.71 ARS 2,586

-52.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.74 ARS 5,654

-14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.47 ARS 6,759

51.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.07 ARS 1,619

57.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.49 ARS 3,766

-11.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.50 ARS 2,272

14.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.23 ARS 1,862

122.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.14 ARS 15.3K

-5.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.04 ARS 15.2K

-10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.83 ARS 20.9K

-7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.76 ARS 4,177

4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.12 ARS 3,206

-29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.43 ARS 2,164

50.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.03 ARS 3,077

11.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.19 ARS 1,800

66.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.15 ARS 1,746

73.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.02 ARS 1,547

20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.98 ARS 1,484

22.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$0.97 ARS 1,470

369.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.57 ARS 8,415

86.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.47 ARS 2,222

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.96 ARS 2,962

46.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.05 ARS 1,586

-42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.64 ARS 2,485

228.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.01 ARS 1,529

269.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$7.67 ARS 11.6K

-24.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.35 ARS 2,043

14.07%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$28.3K ARS 42.8M

-20.35%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$33.4K ARS 50.5M

-22.06%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$208 ARS 314.7K

-56.09%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$25.20 ARS 38.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$34.05 ARS 51.5K

-8.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$34.82 ARS 52.7K

92.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$11.04 ARS 16.7K

-55.98%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$305 ARS 461.7K

-26.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$8,759 ARS 13.2M

-51.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$113 ARS 170.1K

-58.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$90.4 ARS 136.7K

-51.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$117 ARS 176.2K

-31.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$137 ARS 207.8K

-32.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$436 ARS 658.5K

143.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$359 ARS 543.1K

8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$924 ARS 1.4M

132.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$662 ARS 1.0M

92.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

56.56

-79.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Nueve de Julio: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $436 in Nueve de Julio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $71.0 in Nueve de Julio. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $255, with Nueve de Julio cheaper for home cooking.

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 Nueve de Julio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Nueve de Julio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $2,093 in Nueve de Julio 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $436 in Nueve de Julio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Nueve de Julio pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,395 in Nueve de Julio – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,395 in Nueve de Julio, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Nueve de Julio. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Nueve de Julio are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Nueve de Julio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.