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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $710 in Old Harbour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,170 in Old Harbour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,630 in Old Harbour.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 78% 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 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$6.28 JMD 988

86.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$30.89 JMD 4,858

35.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$5.13 JMD 806

104.87%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$4.33 JMD 680

-17.09%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.90 JMD 141

67.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.61 JMD 96.3

50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.43 JMD 382

21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.17 JMD 499

39.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$4.33 JMD 681

-67.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$3.53 JMD 555

-46.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.62 JMD 255

-3.70%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$3.48 JMD 548

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$3.48 JMD 548

139.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.51 JMD 1,025

28.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$7.53 JMD 1,184

44.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$5.85 JMD 920

-53.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$3.05 JMD 479

-50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$4.30 JMD 676

-56.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.12 JMD 333

3.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$2.02 JMD 318

-7.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.94 JMD 305

14.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$2.99 JMD 471

-64.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.45 JMD 228

-24.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$8.85 JMD 1,392

-52.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$11.56 JMD 1,818

-9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$2.76 JMD 435

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$3.10 JMD 488

-15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.12 JMD 176

175.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$3.28 JMD 515

-26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$6.20 JMD 975

-49.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.09 JMD 171

20.18%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$42.9K JMD 6.7M

-30.44%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

-29.64%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$49.51 JMD 7,788

64.17%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$21.97 JMD 3,455

2.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$44.48 JMD 6,997

-32.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$13.23 JMD 2,081

-62.81%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$225 JMD 35.4K

-10.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$2,493 JMD 392.2K

107.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$26.25 JMD 4,129

36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$25.31 JMD 3,980

58.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$70.6 JMD 11.1K

12.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$75.3 JMD 11.8K

14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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 Old Harbour: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Old Harbour. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $322, with Playa del Carmen 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 Old Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Old Harbour differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $710 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,065 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $225 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 $31.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $710 in Old Harbour versus $1,260 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 78% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.