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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $745 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,249 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,753 in Maracaibo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 69% more expensive than in Maracaibo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Maracaibo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$10.59 VES 7,784

13.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$40.33 VES 29.6K

3.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.79 VES 6,458

22.30%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.75 VES 2,025

27.27%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.15 VES 844

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.30 VES 956

-32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.20 VES 1,614

34.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.03 VES 2,228

48.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.72 VES 1,266

-16.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.01 VES 1,476

-8.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.11 VES 817

41.44%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.04 VES 2,236

-17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$5.90 VES 4,335

40.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.27 VES 3,874

59.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.34 VES 4,657

68.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$4.31 VES 3,166

-39.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.37 VES 1,007

5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.68 VES 1,238

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.48 VES 1,084

41.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.17 VES 861

58.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.69 VES 1,241

28.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.99 VES 726

4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.63 VES 1,202

-34.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.44 VES 2,529

19.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.27 VES 6,814

9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.07 VES 783

57.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.65 VES 1,946

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.49 VES 358

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$42.21 VES 31.0K

-38.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.90 VES 2,866

-17.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.96 VES 1,443

22.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.73 VES 13.0K

-81.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.52 VES 380

153.85%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.8K VES 16.8M

30.13%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$31.2K VES 22.9M

-24.19%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$16.36 VES 12.0K

401.28%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$8.61 VES 6,328

166.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$25.41 VES 18.7K

18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$34.13 VES 25.1K

52.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$23.62 VES 17.4K

-21.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.97 VES 3,650

0.20%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$111 VES 81.7K

77.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$14.3K VES 10.5M

-62.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$41.23 VES 30.3K

-13.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$41.87 VES 30.8K

-3.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$58.7 VES 43.1K

34.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$59.6 VES 43.8K

49.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$181 VES 132.7K

424.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$102 VES 75.1K

363.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$327 VES 240.4K

402.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$213 VES 156.3K

469.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$763 VES 561.2K

431.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$497 VES 365.6K

1200.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$198 VES 145.8K

229.70%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $181 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 230% 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 $220 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 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 230% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $181 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $111 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 $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,256 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 69% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.