Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracay and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $735 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
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Maracay Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$735

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maracay 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 Maracay and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $735 per month in Maracay vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maracay $735
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,245 per month in Maracay vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maracay $1,245
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,755 per month in Maracay vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Maracay $1,755
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Maracay is about 39% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Maracay and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Maracay 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 VES 4,366

$10.92 MX$204

-54.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.44 VES 28.7K

$43.37 MX$808

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 VES 7,056

$11.78 MX$220

-32.43%

Cappuccino

$1.62 VES 1,439

$3.81 MX$71.0

-57.48%

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

$1.21 VES 1,069

$1.28 MX$23.90

-5.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 VES 1,058

$0.78 MX$14.59

52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 VES 1,035

$3.17 MX$59.0

-63.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 VES 2,627

$4.93 MX$92.0

-39.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 VES 2,371

$1.41 MX$26.22

90.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 VES 2,066

$2.22 MX$41.33

4.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 VES 916

$1.42 MX$26.42

-27.46%

Eggs

$2.72 VES 2,411

$2.52 MX$47.03

7.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 VES 5,807

$7.26 MX$135

-9.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 VES 4,951

$7.70 MX$143

-27.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.14 VES 7,210

$12.69 MX$237

-35.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 VES 3,636

$2.78 MX$51.9

47.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 VES 1,818

$1.37 MX$25.50

49.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 VES 1,903

$2.55 MX$47.55

-15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 VES 2,013

$2.12 MX$39.58

7.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 VES 2,053

$1.94 MX$36.13

19.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 VES 1,944

$1.89 MX$35.16

15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 VES 1,433

$1.15 MX$21.37

40.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 VES 2,015

$1.18 MX$21.98

92.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 VES 2,231

$4.30 MX$80.1

-41.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 VES 8,750

$9.95 MX$185

-0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 VES 1,001

$1.58 MX$29.52

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 VES 1,525

$2.67 MX$49.79

-35.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 VES 424

$0.55 MX$10.31

-12.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.18 VES 17.9K

$26.62 MX$496

-24.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 VES 2,675

$4.97 MX$92.6

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 VES 2,398

$3.33 MX$62.1

-18.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 VES 8,808

$5.36 MX$99.8

85.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 VES 610

$1.44 MX$26.92

-52.08%

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

$25.0K VES 22.2M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

21.08%

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

$39.3K VES 34.8M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

67.51%

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

$12.72 VES 11.3K

$84.8 MX$1,581

-85.00%

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

$11.71 VES 10.4K

$23.41 MX$436

-49.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.69 VES 34.3K

$28.66 MX$534

35.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.13 VES 25.8K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-48.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 VES 13.6K

$28.91 MX$539

-47.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.97 VES 3,516

$5.14 MX$95.8

-22.76%

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

$75.3 VES 66.7K

$207 MX$3,851

-63.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,991 VES 5.3M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

52.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 VES 46.4K

$43.35 MX$808

20.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.03 VES 31.9K

$41.44 MX$772

-13.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 VES 73.0K

$74.2 MX$1,383

11.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 VES 84.1K

$89.3 MX$1,664

6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 VES 195.6K

$980 MX$18.3K

-77.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 VES 96.0K

$381 MX$7,099

-71.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 VES 505.6K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-66.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 VES 242.8K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-74.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$445 VES 393.9K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-88.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$198 VES 175.7K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-96.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$209 VES 185.4K

$735 MX$13.7K

-71.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

11.45

87.77%

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

Last update for Maracay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracay

$264 35.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 3.4% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Maracay

$120 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 6.6% $7.9

Accommodation & Living

Maracay

$108 14.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 251% $272

Eating Out

Maracay

$104 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 94.2% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracay

$63 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 117% $74

Getting Around

Maracay

$39 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 30.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Maracay

$37 5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 81.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $221 in Maracay versus $980 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.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Maracay versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $264 in Maracay vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracay

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h behind Maracay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,606

149,923

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Maracay Playa del Carmen 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Maracay
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 64% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,102 per month in Maracay and $1,806 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 Maracay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Maracay and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Maracay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Maracay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.