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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $557 in Barquisimeto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $939 in Barquisimeto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,322 in Barquisimeto.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 133% more expensive than Barquisimeto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Barquisimeto 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.40 VES 4,137

58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$30.54 VES 17.1K

36.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$10.15 VES 5,673

4.83%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.01 VES 567

248.51%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.18 VES 660

27.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.71 VES 398

36.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.47 VES 824

100.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.54 VES 859

188.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.53 VES 853

-9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.48 VES 1,387

-23.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.99 VES 552

65.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.62 VES 905

54.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.10 VES 2,291

103.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.05 VES 2,825

65.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.05 VES 3,939

52.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$4.91 VES 2,743

-47.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.98 VES 549

48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.98 VES 550

93.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.98 VES 546

112.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.99 VES 551

79.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.47 VES 822

48.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.52 VES 289

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.02 VES 568

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.07 VES 1,718

32.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$13.37 VES 7,476

-22.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.78 VES 435

119.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.02 VES 569

152.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.44 VES 245

15.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$5.11 VES 2,856

-36.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.51 VES 287

156.86%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$24.7K VES 13.8M

22.35%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$36.4K VES 20.3M

-35.64%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$20.08 VES 11.2K

312.70%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$10.08 VES 5,635

120.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$40.41 VES 22.6K

-27.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$22.57 VES 12.6K

128.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.49 VES 2,508

12.92%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$50.1 VES 28.0K

301.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$27.93 VES 15.6K

32.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$24.91 VES 13.9K

59.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$50.3 VES 28.1K

56.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$49.45 VES 27.6K

76.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$199 VES 111.3K

388.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$50.7 VES 28.3K

823.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$246 VES 137.4K

567.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$149 VES 83.1K

720.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$469 VES 262.2K

741.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$248 VES 138.8K

2516.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$190 VES 106.2K

249.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barquisimeto: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $199 in Barquisimeto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 249% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Barquisimeto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $201 per month, with Barquisimeto 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 Barquisimeto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Barquisimeto differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $557 including rent). Barquisimeto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 249% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $199 in Barquisimeto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $557 in Barquisimeto – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $557 in Barquisimeto versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barquisimeto but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Barquisimeto 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 Barquisimeto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.