Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Old Harbour Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Old Harbour

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,049 in Old Harbour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,719 in Old Harbour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,389 in Old Harbour.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than in Old Harbour, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Old Harbour 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$15.53 JMD 2,439

-22.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$75.4 JMD 11.8K

-37.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.77 JMD 1,378

33.98%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$5.38 JMD 845

-23.42%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.19 JMD 188

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.74 JMD 116

22.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.15 JMD 338

49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.09 JMD 486

128.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$4.21 JMD 661

-60.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$3.74 JMD 588

-42.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.64 JMD 258

7.93%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.48 JMD 546

-18.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.40 JMD 1,790

-19.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.37 JMD 1,001

44.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.21 JMD 1,604

23.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$5.91 JMD 929

-50.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$3.91 JMD 615

-59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$7.30 JMD 1,146

-69.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$3.09 JMD 486

-23.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$3.17 JMD 497

-37.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.60 JMD 408

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$3.04 JMD 477

-59.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.52 JMD 239

-20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$9.74 JMD 1,530

-52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.56 JMD 1,816

-9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.82 JMD 443

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.95 JMD 620

-29.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.17 JMD 184

347.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.08 JMD 483

18.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.30 JMD 989

-8.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.36 JMD 214

13.24%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$44.1K JMD 6.9M

-48.33%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

-19.92%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$174 JMD 27.3K

-47.76%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$29.76 JMD 4,675

-15.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$52.5 JMD 8,245

-39.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$13.54 JMD 2,127

-64.11%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$356 JMD 55.9K

-36.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$8,127 JMD 1.3M

-48.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$24.18 JMD 3,797

95.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$32.24 JMD 5,064

34.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$77.2 JMD 12.1K

3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$104 JMD 16.4K

-12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.45

21.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Old Harbour: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $75.0 in Old Harbour for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $385 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 Old Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Old Harbour differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,049 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,573 in Old Harbour 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.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $356 in Old Harbour. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Old Harbour – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,049 in Old Harbour versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Old Harbour but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Old Harbour the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Old Harbour gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.