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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Nueve de Julio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,925 in Nueve de Julio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,692 in Nueve de Julio.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nueve de Julio 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$15.10 ARS 22.4K

-22.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$59.0 ARS 87.6K

-29.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$12.20 ARS 18.1K

-13.85%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$4.10 ARS 6,084

-12.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$2.16 ARS 3,210

-30.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.47 ARS 2,176

-37.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.65 ARS 5,415

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.98 ARS 5,907

10.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.08 ARS 1,609

29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.55 ARS 3,793

-26.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.24 ARS 3,332

-30.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.21 ARS 1,801

115.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$12.13 ARS 18.0K

-31.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$8.10 ARS 12.0K

3.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.66 ARS 14.3K

12.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.50 ARS 3,720

8.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.06 ARS 3,056

-26.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.26 ARS 1,870

48.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.24 ARS 3,329

-2.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.43 ARS 2,128

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.48 ARS 2,190

50.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.98 ARS 1,451

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.01 ARS 1,506

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.01 ARS 1,507

314.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.80 ARS 8,612

79.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.42 ARS 2,104

16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.99 ARS 2,952

31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.78 ARS 1,163

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.64 ARS 2,441

87.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.93 ARS 1,381

158.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.96 ARS 8,853

-47.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.12 ARS 1,659

16.96%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$24.8K ARS 36.8M

20.32%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$29.1K ARS 43.3M

-19.98%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$110 ARS 163.7K

-26.28%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$21.09 ARS 31.3K

6.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$28.62 ARS 42.5K

5.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$25.72 ARS 38.2K

105.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$13.55 ARS 20.1K

35.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$8.88 ARS 13.2K

-44.59%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$329 ARS 489.2K

-39.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$5,190 ARS 7.7M

-0.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$110 ARS 164.1K

-67.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$85.5 ARS 127.0K

-53.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$123 ARS 182.7K

-35.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$131 ARS 195.0K

-34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$337 ARS 500.8K

190.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$240 ARS 355.7K

96.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$689 ARS 1.0M

139.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$532 ARS 790.4K

126.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,953 ARS 2.9M

102.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,360 ARS 2.0M

385.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nueve de Julio: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $337 in Nueve de Julio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Nueve de Julio. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $243, 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 9% 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,738 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $337 in Nueve de Julio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,159 in Nueve de Julio – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Nueve de Julio versus $1,260 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 $1,159 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 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.