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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $711 in Old Harbour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,166 in Old Harbour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,621 in Old Harbour.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than Old Harbour, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Old Harbour 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.21 JMD 976

92.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$31.39 JMD 4,930

36.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.97 JMD 780

113.08%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$4.24 JMD 666

-14.62%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.97 JMD 152

51.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.60 JMD 94.7

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.53 JMD 397

22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.06 JMD 481

45.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$4.34 JMD 682

-67.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$3.65 JMD 573

-48.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.63 JMD 257

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.55 JMD 557

-25.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$3.43 JMD 538

139.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.27 JMD 985

32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.74 JMD 1,216

43.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$6.11 JMD 960

-56.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$3.10 JMD 487

-51.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$4.12 JMD 647

-51.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.08 JMD 327

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.02 JMD 317

-11.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.92 JMD 301

13.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$3.13 JMD 492

-65.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.43 JMD 225

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$8.58 JMD 1,347

-53.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.33 JMD 1,780

-9.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.87 JMD 450

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.15 JMD 495

-20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.09 JMD 171

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$3.24 JMD 508

-25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.13 JMD 962

-49.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.07 JMD 169

18.69%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$42.8K JMD 6.7M

-27.93%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-31.02%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$49.29 JMD 7,741

66.38%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$22.49 JMD 3,532

-0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$43.21 JMD 6,786

-31.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$13.26 JMD 2,082

-62.52%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$230 JMD 36.1K

-14.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,485 JMD 390.2K

112.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$25.58 JMD 4,018

42.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$25.78 JMD 4,049

55.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$71.2 JMD 11.2K

12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$76.1 JMD 12.0K

16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Old Harbour: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Old Harbour. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 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 81% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $711 including rent). Old Harbour is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,067 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 $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $230 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $711 in Old Harbour versus $1,287 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 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.