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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $673 in Porlamar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $932 in Porlamar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,192 in Porlamar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 87% more than Porlamar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Porlamar are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Porlamar 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$4.52 VES 3,356

159.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$50.2 VES 37.3K

-16.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.90 VES 5,864

33.04%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.53 VES 1,133

134.64%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.69 VES 1,254

-10.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.74 VES 552

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.39 VES 1,031

112.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.23 VES 1,657

97.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.70 VES 1,261

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.47 VES 1,093

27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.13 VES 839

38.05%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.96 VES 1,452

33.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$5.90 VES 4,380

41.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.62 VES 4,915

26.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$7.38 VES 5,478

47.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$4.23 VES 3,141

-35.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.77 VES 1,312

-14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.48 VES 1,099

26.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.71 VES 1,266

28.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.67 VES 1,240

11.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.51 VES 1,122

47.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.83 VES 1,360

-41.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.98 VES 727

11.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$3.03 VES 2,246

38.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$6.43 VES 4,772

62.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$0.78 VES 576

112.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.57 VES 1,164

66.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.45 VES 336

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$5.13 VES 3,809

-39.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$2.95 VES 2,191

-18.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.48 VES 353

172.92%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$29.82 VES 22.1K

172.57%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$10.12 VES 7,514

122.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$35.59 VES 26.4K

-15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$50.4 VES 37.4K

4.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$9.98 VES 7,406

84.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$3.07 VES 2,278

60.26%

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

$201 MX$3,502

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$199 VES 147.8K

391.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$202 VES 150.0K

132.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$392 VES 291.2K

907.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$151 VES 112.2K

4271.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$212 VES 157.5K

218.94%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Porlamar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $199 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 219% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $50.0 in Porlamar. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $210 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 87%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,009 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 20% 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 $42.00 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 $673, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.