Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ocho Rios Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ocho Rios

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $922 in Ocho Rios.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,938 in Ocho Rios.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,954 in Ocho Rios.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than Ocho Rios, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ocho Rios 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.65 JMD 1,203

55.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$62.6 JMD 9,851

-31.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.09 JMD 958

74.88%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.68 JMD 421

28.73%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.32 JMD 208

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.71 JMD 112

33.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.15 JMD 337

40.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.21 JMD 505

43.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$3.91 JMD 615

-64.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.74 JMD 431

-32.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.57 JMD 247

2.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.55 JMD 559

-27.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.64 JMD 1,045

24.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.38 JMD 1,004

31.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.60 JMD 1,196

40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$5.85 JMD 920

-55.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$3.05 JMD 480

-51.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.14 JMD 652

-53.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.25 JMD 354

-7.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.10 JMD 331

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.96 JMD 308

15.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.01 JMD 317

-47.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.09 JMD 172

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$8.68 JMD 1,364

-52.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.23 JMD 1,451

12.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.33 JMD 366

-26.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.02 JMD 475

-13.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.61 JMD 253

-66.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.64 JMD 101

389.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.94 JMD 148

167.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.18 JMD 972

-49.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.28 JMD 201

-0.78%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$43.0K JMD 6.8M

-29.40%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.2K JMD 5.4M

-31.10%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$106 JMD 16.7K

-21.79%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$21.86 JMD 3,438

3.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$39.28 JMD 6,177

-25.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$15.78 JMD 2,482

223.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$5.75 JMD 904

218.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$11.33 JMD 1,781

-56.49%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$229 JMD 36.0K

-13.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,477 JMD 389.5K

113.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$15.92 JMD 2,504

131.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$12.27 JMD 1,930

225.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$49.98 JMD 7,860

60.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$62.4 JMD 9,805

43.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$373 JMD 58.7K

156.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$190 JMD 29.9K

151.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,220 JMD 191.8K

34.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,224 JMD 192.4K

0.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

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

128.40%

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 Ocho Rios: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $373 in Ocho Rios. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $63.0 in Ocho Rios for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $305 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 Ocho Rios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ocho Rios is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,382 in Ocho Rios 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 $373 in Ocho Rios. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $229 in Ocho Rios. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ocho Rios – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $922 in Ocho Rios versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ocho Rios but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ocho Rios the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ocho Rios is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Ocho Rios gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.