Last update: Nov 2026

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

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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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Isla de Margarita

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 84% more than Isla de Margarita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$9.83 VES 8,778

8.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$819

$81.0 VES 72.3K

-45.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.8

$2.55 VES 2,279

48.63%

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

$1.30 MX$24.26

$0.98 VES 875

32.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.59

$1.47 VES 1,317

-43.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.9

$0.98 VES 876

221.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.3

$3.04 VES 2,715

62.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.96 VES 1,746

-28.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.07

$2.96 VES 2,640

-25.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$2.05 VES 1,834

-28.29%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.70

$2.45 VES 2,184

2.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$7.93 VES 7,078

-8.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$8.21 VES 7,326

-3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$241

$8.05 VES 7,186

59.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.2

$4.11 VES 3,669

-29.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.87

$1.51 VES 1,350

-8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.59

$1.99 VES 1,775

25.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.97

$2.55 VES 2,276

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.88

$1.46 VES 1,304

38.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.60

$1.78 VES 1,593

6.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.41

$1.02 VES 908

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$4.98 VES 4,445

96.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.66

$0.97 VES 868

63.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.3

$1.54 VES 1,372

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

$2.92 VES 2,610

63.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

$2.97 VES 2,648

9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.58

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

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

$83.5 MX$1,562

$29.62 VES 26.4K

181.87%

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

$23.19 MX$434

$14.73 VES 13.1K

57.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$516

$40.41 VES 36.1K

-31.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,056

$49.69 VES 44.4K

13.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

$15.05 VES 13.4K

87.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

$4.99 VES 4,450

0.20%

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

$207 MX$3,873

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

$78.7 VES 70.3K

-44.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

$101 VES 90.2K

-27.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

$99.8 VES 89.1K

-11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.6K

$296 VES 264.0K

236.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,152

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.3K

$508 VES 453.9K

229.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

$605 VES 540.3K

545.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

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 Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Isla de Margarita: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Isla de Margarita

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Isla de Margarita

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Isla de Margarita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Isla de Margarita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Isla de Margarita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Isla de Margarita

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Isla de Margarita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $296 in Isla de Margarita. 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $81 in Isla de Margarita. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $236 in Isla de Margarita – so Isla de Margarita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇪 Isla de Margarita

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

15:41 3:41 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

90,387

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.12 USD

1,000 VES = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 998 VES (1,000 VES = 1 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Playa del Carmen
Isla de Margarita

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

Playa del Carmen vs Isla de Margarita: 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 $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $982 in Isla de Margarita. 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen and $81 in Isla de Margarita. 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.