Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,249 in Maracaibo versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,753 in Maracaibo versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Maracaibo costs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maracaibo 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 VES 7,784

$11.99 MX$210

-11.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.33 VES 29.6K

$41.78 MX$733

-3.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 VES 6,458

$10.75 MX$189

-18.23%

Cappuccino

$2.75 VES 2,025

$3.50 MX$61.3

-21.43%

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

$1.15 VES 844

$1.45 MX$25.41

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 956

$0.88 MX$15.52

47.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 VES 1,614

$2.95 MX$51.7

-25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 VES 2,228

$4.51 MX$79.1

-32.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 VES 1,266

$1.43 MX$25.12

20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 VES 1,476

$1.84 MX$32.23

9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 VES 817

$1.57 MX$27.51

-29.30%

Eggs

$3.04 VES 2,236

$2.51 MX$44.06

21.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 VES 4,335

$8.28 MX$145

-28.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 VES 3,874

$8.43 MX$148

-37.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.34 VES 4,657

$10.68 MX$187

-40.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 VES 3,166

$2.61 MX$45.76

65.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 VES 1,007

$1.44 MX$25.22

-4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 VES 1,238

$1.96 MX$34.41

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 VES 1,084

$2.09 MX$36.74

-29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 VES 861

$1.85 MX$32.47

-36.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 VES 1,241

$2.17 MX$38.02

-22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 VES 726

$1.03 MX$18.09

-3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 VES 1,202

$1.07 MX$18.84

52.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 VES 2,529

$4.10 MX$72.0

-16.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 VES 6,814

$10.17 MX$178

-8.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 VES 783

$1.68 MX$29.38

-36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 VES 1,946

$2.53 MX$44.31

4.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 VES 358

$0.51 MX$8.93

-3.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.21 VES 31.0K

$26.04 MX$457

62.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 VES 2,866

$3.23 MX$56.7

20.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 VES 1,443

$2.41 MX$42.19

-18.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.73 VES 13.0K

$3.23 MX$56.6

448.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 380

$1.32 MX$23.17

-60.61%

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

$22.8K VES 16.8M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-23.15%

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

$31.2K VES 22.9M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

31.91%

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

$16.36 VES 12.0K

$82.0 MX$1,439

-80.05%

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

$8.61 VES 6,328

$22.95 MX$403

-62.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.41 VES 18.7K

$30.11 MX$528

-15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.13 VES 25.1K

$52.0 MX$912

-34.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.62 VES 17.4K

$18.53 MX$325

27.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 VES 3,650

$4.98 MX$87.3

-0.20%

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

$111 VES 81.7K

$197 MX$3,463

-43.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K VES 10.5M

$5,336 MX$93.6K

168.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.23 VES 30.3K

$35.60 MX$624

15.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 VES 30.8K

$40.33 MX$707

3.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 VES 43.1K

$78.8 MX$1,381

-25.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 VES 43.8K

$88.9 MX$1,560

-33.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 VES 132.7K

$947 MX$16.6K

-80.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 VES 75.1K

$474 MX$8,314

-78.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 VES 240.4K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-80.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 VES 156.3K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-82.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$763 VES 561.2K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-81.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$497 VES 365.6K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-92.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 VES 145.8K

$654 MX$11.5K

-69.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.6

11.42

132.92%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Maracaibo and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Maracaibo vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $249 per month, with Maracaibo 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

Maracaibo vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 230% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $181 in Maracaibo versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Maracaibo versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maracaibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maracaibo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.