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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $668 in Porlamar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $935 in Porlamar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,201 in Porlamar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 93% more than Porlamar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Porlamar are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Porlamar 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$4.54 VES 2,210

163.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$49.78 VES 24.2K

-14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.83 VES 3,808

35.25%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.54 VES 747

135.06%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.63 VES 794

-9.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.79 VES 382

18.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.33 VES 646

132.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.26 VES 1,099

97.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.66 VES 808

-13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.52 VES 740

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.12 VES 545

45.54%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.03 VES 985

30.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$6.14 VES 2,987

33.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.36 VES 3,092

30.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.60 VES 3,694

46.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$4.15 VES 2,017

-36.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.80 VES 876

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.47 VES 717

35.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.79 VES 871

16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.69 VES 824

5.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.52 VES 740

43.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.77 VES 863

-38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.98 VES 476

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.94 VES 1,430

35.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.59 VES 3,206

54.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$0.77 VES 377

124.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.58 VES 770

58.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.49 VES 236

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$5.03 VES 2,445

-37.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$2.94 VES 1,429

-18.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.52 VES 250

144.23%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$29.69 VES 14.4K

176.22%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$9.93 VES 4,827

126.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$35.06 VES 17.0K

-15.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$50.4 VES 24.5K

3.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$10.08 VES 4,899

85.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$2.94 VES 1,428

69.05%

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

$198 MX$3,442

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$198 VES 96.3K

386.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$202 VES 98.1K

130.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$399 VES 193.8K

889.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$152 VES 73.7K

4154.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$217 VES 105.6K

231.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Porlamar: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $198 in Porlamar. 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 232% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.0 in Porlamar. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $211 in Porlamar – so Porlamar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Porlamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 93%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,002 in Porlamar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $50.0 in Porlamar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Porlamar, where all-in costs run around $668, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Porlamar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Porlamar – 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 Porlamar. 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.