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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $783 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,303 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,823 in Maracaibo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 67% more expensive than in Maracaibo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Maracaibo 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$10.44 VES 8,665

14.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$40.65 VES 33.8K

16.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$9.04 VES 7,510

29.98%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.67 VES 2,219

54.31%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.14 VES 944

22.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$1.33 VES 1,106

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$2.24 VES 1,858

43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.92 VES 2,428

142.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.78 VES 1,476

-5.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$2.11 VES 1,750

1.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.03 VES 856

71.84%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$3.73 VES 3,101

-24.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$6.70 VES 5,560

37.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.47 VES 5,370

42.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$7.47 VES 6,199

69.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.72 VES 3,916

-37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.37 VES 1,135

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.55 VES 1,290

43.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.41 VES 1,174

67.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$1.23 VES 1,021

61.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.75 VES 1,449

13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$0.98 VES 810

26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$2.03 VES 1,684

-40.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$2.97 VES 2,464

54.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$8.97 VES 7,447

17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.09 VES 903

55.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.61 VES 2,171

6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.43 VES 360

39.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$41.84 VES 34.7K

-29.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$4.11 VES 3,416

27.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$2.04 VES 1,692

78.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$17.34 VES 14.4K

-66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$0.66 VES 546

133.33%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$14.9K VES 12.4M

53.06%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$28.5K VES 23.7M

-9.39%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$63.0 VES 52.3K

43.92%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$7.31 VES 6,072

244.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$25.06 VES 20.8K

26.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$33.94 VES 28.2K

102.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$28.21 VES 23.4K

4.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$5.07 VES 4,211

-4.14%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$153 VES 127.0K

47.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$7,201 VES 6.0M

-41.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$27.67 VES 23.0K

71.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$32.17 VES 26.7K

35.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$61.3 VES 50.9K

30.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$57.5 VES 47.8K

58.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$162 VES 134.8K

568.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$93.1 VES 77.3K

339.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$298 VES 247.4K

561.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$197 VES 163.4K

551.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$743 VES 616.6K

444.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$506 VES 420.6K

1223.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$200 VES 166.3K

286.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $162 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 286% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $41.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $242 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 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 286% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $162 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $153 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $783 in Maracaibo versus $1,305 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 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.