Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $735 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
Learn more

Maracay Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Maracay

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 Maracay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $735 in Maracay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Maracay $735

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,245 in Maracay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Maracay $1,245

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,755 in Maracay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Maracay $1,755

Playa del Carmen costs about 64% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Maracay are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Maracay 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$4.93 VES 4,366

121.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$32.44 VES 28.7K

33.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$7.96 VES 7,056

47.99%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.62 VES 1,439

135.19%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.21 VES 1,069

5.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.19 VES 1,058

-34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.17 VES 1,035

170.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$2.96 VES 2,627

66.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.68 VES 2,371

-47.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.33 VES 2,066

-4.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.03 VES 916

37.86%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.72 VES 2,411

-7.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.55 VES 5,807

10.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$5.59 VES 4,951

37.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$8.14 VES 7,210

55.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.10 VES 3,636

-32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$2.05 VES 1,818

-33.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.15 VES 1,903

18.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$2.27 VES 2,013

-6.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.32 VES 2,053

-16.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$2.19 VES 1,944

-13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.62 VES 1,433

-29.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$2.27 VES 2,015

-48.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$2.52 VES 2,231

70.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$9.88 VES 8,750

0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.13 VES 1,001

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.72 VES 1,525

55.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.48 VES 424

14.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$20.18 VES 17.9K

31.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$3.02 VES 2,675

64.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$2.71 VES 2,398

22.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$9.94 VES 8,808

-46.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$0.69 VES 610

108.70%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$25.0K VES 22.2M

-17.41%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$39.3K VES 34.8M

-40.30%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$12.72 VES 11.3K

566.59%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$11.71 VES 10.4K

99.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$38.69 VES 34.3K

-25.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$29.13 VES 25.8K

95.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$15.30 VES 13.6K

88.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$3.97 VES 3,516

29.47%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$75.3 VES 66.7K

174.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$5,991 VES 5.3M

-34.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$52.4 VES 46.4K

-17.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$36.03 VES 31.9K

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$82.4 VES 73.0K

-9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$95.0 VES 84.1K

-6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$221 VES 195.6K

343.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$108 VES 96.0K

251.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$571 VES 505.6K

199.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$274 VES 242.8K

292.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$445 VES 393.9K

786.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$198 VES 175.7K

3004.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$209 VES 185.4K

251.04%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maracay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Maracay

$108 14.8% 71.5% $272

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Maracay

$264 35.9% 3.6% $9.1

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Maracay

$104 14.2% 48.5% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Maracay

$63 8.6% 53.9% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Maracay

$120 16.3% 7% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Maracay

$37 5% 44.9% $30

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Maracay

$39 5.3% 23.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $221 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 in Playa del Carmen are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $32 in Maracay. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $264 in Maracay – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇪 Maracay

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

425,606

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Maracay 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Maracay

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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 64% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,102 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $32 in Maracay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Maracay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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