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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Old Harbour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,148 in Old Harbour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,589 in Old Harbour.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 80% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$6.28 JMD 988

89.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$31.93 JMD 5,022

34.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.11 JMD 804

108.41%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.33 JMD 681

-20.32%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.97 JMD 153

54.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.65 JMD 103

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.52 JMD 397

20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.12 JMD 490

47.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$4.21 JMD 661

-67.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$3.64 JMD 572

-49.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.61 JMD 253

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.55 JMD 558

-27.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.55 JMD 558

132.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.48 JMD 1,019

29.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.75 JMD 1,219

37.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$6.04 JMD 950

-56.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.98 JMD 469

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.25 JMD 668

-54.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.02 JMD 318

3.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.12 JMD 333

-12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.94 JMD 305

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$3.10 JMD 487

-65.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.45 JMD 229

-24.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$8.80 JMD 1,384

-52.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.49 JMD 1,807

-9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.80 JMD 441

-38.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.07 JMD 484

-14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.09 JMD 171

187.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.24 JMD 509

-22.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.34 JMD 998

-50.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.07 JMD 168

18.69%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-30.52%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

-29.33%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$51.1 JMD 8,032

62.52%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$22.20 JMD 3,491

2.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$43.35 JMD 6,818

-32.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$13.39 JMD 2,105

-63.18%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$226 JMD 35.6K

-12.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,512 JMD 395.0K

110.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$26.04 JMD 4,095

41.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$26.00 JMD 4,089

53.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$70.7 JMD 11.1K

13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$75.4 JMD 11.9K

18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

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

9.15

24.81%

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 Old Harbour: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Old Harbour. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $324, 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 80% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $706 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,059 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 $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $226 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 $32.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $706 in Old Harbour versus $1,271 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 80% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.