Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Portoviejo

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $877 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
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Portoviejo Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $877 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Portoviejo $877

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,400 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Portoviejo $1,400

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,924 in Portoviejo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Portoviejo $1,924

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than Portoviejo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Portoviejo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Portoviejo 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$4.06 $4.06

168.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$51.6 $51.6

-15.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$8.95 $8.95

31.62%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.93 $2.93

30.03%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.94 $0.94

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.67 $0.67

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.91 $2.91

8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$4.16 $4.16

18.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.02 $2.02

9.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.45 $1.45

-2.07%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.15 $2.15

17.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.95 $6.95

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$5.04 $5.04

52.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$9.41 $9.41

34.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.52 $1.52

82.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.15 $1.15

19.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$0.99 $0.99

157.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$0.96 $0.96

120.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.22 $1.22

59.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$0.99 $0.99

90.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.89 $0.89

29.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.94 $0.94

25.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$6.04 $6.04

-28.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$12.23 $12.23

-18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.50 $1.50

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$2.19 $2.19

21.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.34 $0.34

61.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.67 $2.67

86.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.79 $1.79

86.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$12.17 $12.17

-55.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$0.88 $0.88

63.64%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$23.0K $23.0K

-10.09%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$30.8K $30.8K

-23.93%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$33.95 $33.95

149.75%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$14.67 $14.67

59.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$26.33 $26.33

8.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$31.57 $31.57

80.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$16.27 $16.27

77.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$7.54 $7.54

-31.83%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$375 $375

-44.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$5,671 $5,671

-30.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$65.2 $65.2

-33.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$41.29 $41.29

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$123 $123

-39.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$92.4 $92.4

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$415 $415

135.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$273 $273

39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$914 $914

86.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$430 $430

150.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,019 $1,019

286.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$789 $789

680.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$331 $331

121.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.05

13.93%

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 Portoviejo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Portoviejo

$273 31.2% 28.2% $107

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Portoviejo

$201 22.9% 21.2% $54

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Portoviejo

$124 14.1% 38.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Portoviejo

$75 8.5% 45.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Portoviejo

$145 16.5% 29.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Portoviejo

$47 5.3% 30.7% $21

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Portoviejo

$13 * 1.5% 74.4% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $415 in Portoviejo. 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 2.2 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 $52 in Portoviejo. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $201 in Portoviejo – so Portoviejo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

180,641

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Portoviejo 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Portoviejo

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 Portoviejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,316 in Portoviejo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portoviejo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $415 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $877 in Portoviejo. That makes Portoviejo about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $375 in Portoviejo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $877 in Portoviejo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $877 in Portoviejo to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Portoviejo. 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.