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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $669 in Porlamar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $936 in Porlamar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,204 in Porlamar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 90% 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 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.50 VES 2,635

163.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$50.7 VES 29.7K

-15.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.09 VES 4,740

31.64%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.54 VES 900

124.03%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.69 VES 989

-11.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.75 VES 438

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.33 VES 779

127.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.30 VES 1,345

100.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.68 VES 983

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.53 VES 894

20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.13 VES 661

42.48%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.95 VES 1,145

32.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.07 VES 3,555

36.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.69 VES 3,920

25.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.53 VES 4,411

41.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$4.22 VES 2,474

-37.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.71 VES 1,003

-12.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.53 VES 895

25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.73 VES 1,014

20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.66 VES 974

12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.52 VES 889

48.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.82 VES 1,068

-41.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.98 VES 574

11.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.94 VES 1,721

41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.44 VES 3,773

61.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.79 VES 465

117.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.64 VES 964

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.49 VES 288

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$5.02 VES 2,942

-37.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.07 VES 1,798

-18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.52 VES 304

144.23%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$29.43 VES 17.2K

182.03%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.86 VES 5,775

130.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$34.40 VES 20.2K

-14.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$49.65 VES 29.1K

2.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$10.07 VES 5,898

82.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.99 VES 1,749

64.88%

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

$197 MX$3,386

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$198 VES 116.1K

382.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$203 VES 119.1K

134.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$401 VES 234.7K

878.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$150 VES 87.7K

4214.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$212 VES 124.4K

214.10%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Porlamar: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 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 214% 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 $51.0 in Porlamar. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $212 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 90%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,003 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 18% 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 $51.0 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 $669, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.