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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $711 in Acarigua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,222 in Acarigua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,732 in Acarigua.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than Acarigua, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Acarigua 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$11.81 VES 7,031

-0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$55.7 VES 33.2K

-25.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$10.19 VES 6,064

2.16%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.62 VES 1,558

37.79%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.27 VES 757

14.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.03 VES 613

-5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.53 VES 908

90.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.95 VES 1,754

56.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.80 VES 1,069

-20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.80 VES 1,665

-32.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.43 VES 853

9.79%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.83 VES 1,686

-6.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$9.78 VES 5,823

-13.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$7.35 VES 4,373

16.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.72 VES 4,594

42.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$5.14 VES 3,061

-47.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.81 VES 1,080

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.28 VES 1,358

-16.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.06 VES 1,226

5.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.59 VES 1,541

-27.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.12 VES 1,262

5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.29 VES 768

-16.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.87 VES 1,114

-42.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.01 VES 2,389

3.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$12.22 VES 7,276

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.51 VES 901

11.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.01 VES 1,198

25.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.90 VES 2,917

-34.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.62 VES 1,561

-6.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$10.06 VES 5,986

-68.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.52 VES 308

153.85%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$25.0K VES 14.9M

20.45%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$38.7K VES 23.1M

-39.58%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$20.05 VES 11.9K

305.74%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$13.07 VES 7,778

71.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$39.21 VES 23.3K

-23.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.90 VES 3,509

-12.54%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$132 VES 78.7K

52.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$5,556 VES 3.3M

-4.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$64.2 VES 38.2K

-44.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$39.08 VES 23.3K

3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$103 VES 61.3K

-23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$117 VES 69.7K

-25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$627 VES 373.0K

932.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

21.33

-46.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Acarigua: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $56.0 in Acarigua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $284 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Acarigua is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,941 in Playa del Carmen and $1,067 in Acarigua 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.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $711 in Acarigua – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $711 in Acarigua versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Acarigua but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Acarigua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Acarigua 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 Acarigua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.