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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $734 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,244 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,754 in Maracaibo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 77% more expensive than Maracaibo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Maracaibo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$10.37 VES 5,777

13.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$39.97 VES 22.3K

4.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.82 VES 4,915

20.63%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.65 VES 1,476

32.83%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.20 VES 671

25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.30 VES 724

-25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.32 VES 1,290

27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.95 VES 1,643

50.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.79 VES 996

-22.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.94 VES 1,080

-2.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.09 VES 607

50.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.19 VES 1,775

-21.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.95 VES 3,318

40.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.39 VES 3,003

54.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.08 VES 3,386

76.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$4.51 VES 2,513

-42.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.38 VES 769

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.71 VES 954

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.47 VES 820

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.16 VES 649

53.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.62 VES 905

35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.01 VES 564

2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.60 VES 889

-32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.43 VES 1,914

18.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.97 VES 4,997

15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.06 VES 591

61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.64 VES 1,473

-2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.51 VES 287

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$41.83 VES 23.3K

-36.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$4.11 VES 2,290

-20.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.95 VES 1,087

27.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.77 VES 9,900

-81.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.48 VES 269

172.92%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$22.2K VES 12.4M

36.39%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$31.0K VES 17.3M

-24.43%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$16.22 VES 9,038

410.91%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$9.02 VES 5,028

146.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$25.85 VES 14.4K

13.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$34.34 VES 19.1K

50.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$23.43 VES 13.1K

-21.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.04 VES 2,807

0.60%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$112 VES 62.5K

78.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$13.9K VES 7.8M

-62.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$41.75 VES 23.3K

-11.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$42.17 VES 23.5K

-5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$57.8 VES 32.2K

35.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$60.3 VES 33.6K

44.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$180 VES 100.5K

439.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$101 VES 56.0K

365.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$330 VES 183.7K

398.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$209 VES 116.6K

483.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$759 VES 423.0K

419.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$502 VES 279.5K

1195.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$196 VES 109.5K

237.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

26.6

-57.07%

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 Maracaibo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $180 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 238% 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 $40.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $221 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

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

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 238% 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 $180 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $112 in Maracaibo. 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 $734 in Maracaibo versus $1,297 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 77% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.