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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $736 in Maracay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,252 in Maracay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,768 in Maracay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 77% more than Maracay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Maracay are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Maracay 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$4.91 VES 4,081

143.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$32.80 VES 27.2K

44.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.86 VES 6,531

49.49%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.70 VES 1,411

142.35%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.23 VES 1,018

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.16 VES 963

-21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.22 VES 1,011

163.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.08 VES 2,562

129.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.65 VES 2,203

-36.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.20 VES 1,830

-2.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.99 VES 820

78.79%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.74 VES 2,273

2.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$6.73 VES 5,589

36.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.76 VES 4,782

60.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.48 VES 7,040

49.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.25 VES 3,527

-30.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.96 VES 1,624

-19.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.11 VES 1,755

5.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.25 VES 1,866

4.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.30 VES 1,908

-13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.21 VES 1,837

-10.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.58 VES 1,315

-21.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$2.29 VES 1,899

-47.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.54 VES 2,109

81.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.04 VES 8,333

4.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.16 VES 967

45.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.78 VES 1,477

55.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.48 VES 402

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$20.37 VES 16.9K

45.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.98 VES 2,478

75.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$2.68 VES 2,224

36.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$10.11 VES 8,400

-42.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.61 VES 507

152.46%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$25.5K VES 21.2M

-10.53%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$38.5K VES 32.0M

-32.97%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$12.66 VES 10.5K

616.19%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.83 VES 8,993

132.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$36.45 VES 30.3K

-12.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$29.99 VES 24.9K

129.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$14.81 VES 12.3K

98.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.05 VES 3,361

20.00%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$74.6 VES 61.9K

202.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$6,048 VES 5.0M

-30.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$52.4 VES 43.5K

-9.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$36.58 VES 30.4K

18.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$82.0 VES 68.1K

-2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$94.0 VES 78.0K

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$225 VES 186.5K

383.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$108 VES 90.0K

276.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$555 VES 461.2K

255.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$270 VES 224.3K

374.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$454 VES 376.7K

791.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$200 VES 166.3K

3247.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$209 VES 173.4K

270.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

21.5

-46.74%

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 Maracay: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $225 in Maracay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 270% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Maracay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $265 – making Maracay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 77% more than Maracay, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,104 in Maracay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $33.00 in Maracay. 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 Maracay, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Maracay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maracay costs $736 versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Maracay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.