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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,123 in Nueve de Julio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,863 in Nueve de Julio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,604 in Nueve de Julio.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than Nueve de Julio, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Nueve de Julio 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$15.04 ARS 21.2K

-20.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$61.1 ARS 86.0K

-30.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$12.11 ARS 17.0K

-12.55%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.96 ARS 5,576

-8.59%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$2.10 ARS 2,954

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.53 ARS 2,159

-38.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$3.59 ARS 5,051

-13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.91 ARS 5,500

14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.03 ARS 1,450

38.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$2.47 ARS 3,477

-23.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.21 ARS 3,107

-26.24%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.19 ARS 1,670

121.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$12.25 ARS 17.3K

-32.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$7.65 ARS 10.8K

8.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$9.67 ARS 13.6K

14.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.56 ARS 3,606

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.09 ARS 2,949

-28.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.31 ARS 1,846

51.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.18 ARS 3,063

-4.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.46 ARS 2,050

22.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.51 ARS 2,127

44.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.99 ARS 1,390

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.02 ARS 1,435

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$1.03 ARS 1,446

285.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$5.30 ARS 7,461

92.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.44 ARS 2,029

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.96 ARS 2,755

27.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.77 ARS 1,086

-32.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.64 ARS 2,312

91.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.86 ARS 1,208

179.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$5.96 ARS 8,389

-48.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.11 ARS 1,562

14.41%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$24.8K ARS 35.0M

24.34%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$28.4K ARS 40.0M

-17.87%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$110 ARS 154.3K

-25.15%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$21.21 ARS 29.9K

5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$29.24 ARS 41.2K

1.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$26.08 ARS 36.7K

98.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$13.90 ARS 19.6K

34.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$9.09 ARS 12.8K

-45.32%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$322 ARS 453.1K

-38.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$5,259 ARS 7.4M

0.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$111 ARS 156.2K

-67.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$85.2 ARS 120.0K

-53.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$125 ARS 175.9K

-36.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$130 ARS 183.1K

-31.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$332 ARS 466.8K

190.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$237 ARS 333.7K

96.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$672 ARS 946.3K

137.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$548 ARS 771.3K

120.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,175 ARS 3.1M

81.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

52.71

-78.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Nueve de Julio: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $332 in Nueve de Julio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $61.0 in Nueve de Julio. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $239, 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

Nueve de Julio wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nueve de Julio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,684 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $332 in Nueve de Julio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,123 in Nueve de Julio – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,123 in Nueve de Julio versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nueve de Julio but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nueve de Julio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nueve de Julio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,123 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nueve de Julio 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 Nueve de Julio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.