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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,130 in Nueve de Julio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,864 in Nueve de Julio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,597 in Nueve de Julio.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than Nueve de Julio, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nueve de Julio 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$14.87 ARS 21.2K

-20.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$60.2 ARS 85.9K

-28.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$12.18 ARS 17.4K

-12.56%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.93 ARS 5,618

-12.21%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.20 ARS 3,149

-31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.49 ARS 2,126

-36.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.67 ARS 5,241

-17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.97 ARS 5,666

16.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.09 ARS 1,558

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.53 ARS 3,619

-26.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.30 ARS 3,292

-30.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.17 ARS 1,669

121.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.12 ARS 17.3K

-31.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.73 ARS 11.0K

8.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.39 ARS 13.4K

13.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.54 ARS 3,634

3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.10 ARS 2,993

-29.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.26 ARS 1,805

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.24 ARS 3,205

-6.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.51 ARS 2,160

23.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.53 ARS 2,181

47.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.97 ARS 1,390

9.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.01 ARS 1,443

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$0.98 ARS 1,406

323.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.95 ARS 8,498

74.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.39 ARS 1,988

23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.96 ARS 2,807

33.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.83 ARS 1,180

-34.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.62 ARS 2,318

93.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.91 ARS 1,305

175.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.96 ARS 8,510

-47.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.16 ARS 1,663

9.48%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$25.4K ARS 36.3M

19.50%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$29.2K ARS 41.7M

-19.34%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$109 ARS 156.1K

-24.03%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$21.36 ARS 30.5K

6.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.94 ARS 41.3K

1.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$25.88 ARS 37.0K

97.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.56 ARS 19.4K

35.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.79 ARS 12.6K

-43.91%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$324 ARS 462.1K

-39.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,178 ARS 7.4M

1.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$108 ARS 155.0K

-65.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$86.2 ARS 123.2K

-53.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$124 ARS 176.6K

-35.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$132 ARS 188.8K

-32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$338 ARS 482.9K

182.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$239 ARS 340.7K

100.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$685 ARS 978.0K

140.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$532 ARS 760.0K

130.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,329 ARS 3.3M

68.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nueve de Julio: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $338 in Nueve de Julio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $60.0 in Nueve de Julio. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $241, 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 12% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,695 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $338 in Nueve de Julio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,130 in Nueve de Julio – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,130 in Nueve de Julio versus $1,271 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 $1,130 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.