Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ocumare del Tuy Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ocumare del Tuy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $593 in Ocumare del Tuy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,048 in Ocumare del Tuy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,504 in Ocumare del Tuy.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 120% more expensive than in Ocumare del Tuy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ocumare del Tuy 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$8.17 VES 6,786

46.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$67.3 VES 55.9K

-29.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$11.16 VES 9,267

5.29%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.05 VES 2,534

35.08%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.81 VES 673

72.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.48 VES 402

89.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$0.75 VES 619

328.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.52 VES 1,262

365.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.02 VES 1,673

-16.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.52 VES 429

313.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.73 VES 610

142.47%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.42 VES 2,011

16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$3.43 VES 2,851

168.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.89 VES 5,720

33.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.93 VES 8,242

27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$7.12 VES 5,916

-58.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.98 VES 812

61.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.07 VES 892

107.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.67 VES 555

252.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.93 VES 773

113.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.78 VES 648

153.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.01 VES 842

22.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$2.41 VES 2,004

-49.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$1.47 VES 1,220

212.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.19 VES 5,968

46.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.11 VES 925

52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.58 VES 1,308

75.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.37 VES 305

62.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$5.09 VES 4,226

2.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.03 VES 852

254.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$15.20 VES 12.6K

-61.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.48 VES 396

220.83%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$14.8K VES 12.3M

53.91%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.2K VES 15.9M

34.63%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$10.36 VES 8,601

775.19%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$6.92 VES 5,745

264.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$19.87 VES 16.5K

59.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$20.32 VES 16.9K

238.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$3.89 VES 3,234

24.94%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$59.3 VES 49.3K

280.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$1,199 VES 995.8K

249.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$20.20 VES 16.8K

134.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$15.73 VES 13.1K

176.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$30.58 VES 25.4K

162.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$39.75 VES 33.0K

129.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$204 VES 169.3K

432.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$98.7 VES 81.9K

314.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$305 VES 253.6K

545.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$147 VES 122.1K

771.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$355 VES 294.6K

1040.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$276 VES 228.9K

2331.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$99.8 VES 82.9K

674.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-47.95%

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 Ocumare del Tuy: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $204 in Ocumare del Tuy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 675% 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 $67.0 in Ocumare del Tuy. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $222, with Ocumare del Tuy cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ocumare del Tuy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Ocumare del Tuy differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $593 including rent). Ocumare del Tuy is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 675% 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 $204 in Ocumare del Tuy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $59.3 in Ocumare del Tuy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ocumare del Tuy – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $593 in Ocumare del Tuy versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ocumare del Tuy but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ocumare del Tuy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Ocumare del Tuy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.