Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla de Margarita and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla de Margarita: $654 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Isla de Margarita

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$654

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Isla de Margarita and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Isla de Margarita and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $654 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Isla de Margarita $654
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,221 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Isla de Margarita $1,221
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Isla de Margarita $1,788
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Isla de Margarita is about 46% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Isla de Margarita and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Isla de Margarita 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.83 VES 8,778

$10.67 MX$200

-7.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 VES 72.3K

$43.80 MX$823

84.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

Cappuccino

$2.55 VES 2,279

$3.79 MX$71.1

-32.72%

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

$0.98 VES 875

$1.30 MX$24.36

-24.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 VES 1,317

$0.83 MX$15.65

77.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 VES 876

$3.15 MX$59.1

-68.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 VES 2,715

$4.93 MX$92.7

-38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 VES 1,746

$1.41 MX$26.46

39.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 VES 2,640

$2.20 MX$41.23

34.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 VES 1,834

$1.47 MX$27.66

39.46%

Eggs

$2.45 VES 2,184

$2.50 MX$46.89

-2.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 VES 7,078

$7.29 MX$137

8.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 VES 7,326

$7.95 MX$149

3.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.05 VES 7,186

$12.86 MX$242

-37.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 VES 3,669

$2.90 MX$54.4

41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 VES 1,350

$1.38 MX$25.98

9.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 VES 1,775

$2.49 MX$46.78

-20.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 VES 2,276

$2.03 MX$38.12

25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 VES 1,304

$2.02 MX$38.03

-27.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 VES 1,593

$1.90 MX$35.74

-6.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 VES 908

$1.14 MX$21.49

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 VES 4,445

$9.81 MX$184

-49.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 VES 868

$1.59 MX$29.78

-38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 VES 1,372

$2.75 MX$51.6

-44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 VES 2,610

$4.76 MX$89.4

-38.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 VES 2,648

$3.25 MX$61.0

-8.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

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

$29.62 VES 26.4K

$83.5 MX$1,568

-64.52%

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

$14.73 VES 13.1K

$23.19 MX$435

-36.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.41 VES 36.1K

$27.61 MX$519

46.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.69 VES 44.4K

$56.4 MX$1,060

-11.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 VES 13.4K

$28.19 MX$529

-46.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 VES 4,450

$5.00 MX$93.9

-0.20%

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

$207 MX$3,889

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 VES 70.3K

$43.45 MX$816

81.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 VES 90.2K

$72.8 MX$1,367

38.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 VES 89.1K

$88.4 MX$1,660

12.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$296 VES 264.0K

$995 MX$18.7K

-70.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 VES 453.9K

$1,674 MX$31.4K

-69.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$605 VES 540.3K

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-84.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Isla de Margarita: November 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Isla de Margarita

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Isla de Margarita

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Isla de Margarita

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isla de Margarita

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Isla de Margarita

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Isla de Margarita

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Isla de Margarita

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $296 in Isla de Margarita versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Isla de Margarita versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Isla de Margarita vs $257 in Playa del Carmen – so Isla de Margarita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Isla de Margarita

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

1 h behind Isla de Margarita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,387

149,923

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 VES = 11.2 USD

10,000 VES = 9.97 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 1,003 VES (10,000 VES = 9.97 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Isla de Margarita Playa del Carmen 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Isla de Margarita
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Isla de Margarita vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $982 per month in Isla de Margarita and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isla de Margarita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $296 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Isla de Margarita and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Isla de Margarita, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Isla de Margarita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $654 in Isla de Margarita to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.