Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Vac

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,313 in Vac, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Vac
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Vac Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Vac

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,313 in Vac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Vac $1,313

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,227 in Vac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Vac $2,227

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,141 in Vac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Vac $3,141

Playa del Carmen is about 8% cheaper than Vac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Vac are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Vac 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$19.27 Ft 6,283

-44.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$112 Ft 36.5K

-60.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$9.45 Ft 3,081

24.76%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.50 Ft 816

51.60%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.51 Ft 493

-13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.28 Ft 418

-35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.36 Ft 768

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$2.34 Ft 763

110.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.31 Ft 426

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.45 Ft 473

51.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$2.36 Ft 768

-37.71%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$3.27 Ft 1,067

-23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$8.52 Ft 2,776

-14.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$6.01 Ft 1,959

32.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$16.52 Ft 5,384

-22.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.88 Ft 614

54.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$2.07 Ft 675

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$2.08 Ft 678

19.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$2.35 Ft 767

-13.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.67 Ft 543

20.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$1.09 Ft 356

74.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$1.39 Ft 455

-17.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.49 Ft 160

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$7.79 Ft 2,538

-45.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$4.98 Ft 1,624

96.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$0.88 Ft 288

80.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.13 Ft 694

29.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$1.14 Ft 372

-55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$28.58 Ft 9,316

-4.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$2.75 Ft 898

73.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.69 Ft 552

92.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$19.20 Ft 6,259

-71.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.85 Ft 604

-17.30%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$25.7K Ft 8.4M

-17.57%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$38.6K Ft 12.6M

-39.72%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$150 Ft 49.0K

-44.42%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$23.67 Ft 7,715

-2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$21.25 Ft 6,925

29.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$48.28 Ft 15.7K

16.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$18.00 Ft 5,867

56.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$8.37 Ft 2,727

-40.26%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$248 Ft 80.9K

-16.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$7,786 Ft 2.5M

-32.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$90.4 Ft 29.5K

-51.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$31.64 Ft 10.3K

34.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$84.6 Ft 27.6K

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$104 Ft 34.0K

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$506 Ft 164.9K

96.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$394 Ft 128.3K

-2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$818 Ft 266.5K

104.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$754 Ft 245.7K

43.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$3,252 Ft 1.1M

20.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$2,506 Ft 816.9K

144.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$1,401 Ft 456.5K

-40.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vac: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Vac

$394 30% 2.9% $11

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Vac

$234 17.9% 8.9% $23

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Vac

$240 18.3% 20% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Vac

$195 14.9% 45.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Vac

$140 10.7% 25.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Vac

$65 5% 2.1% $1.4

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Vac

$44 3.4% 12.1% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $506 in Vac. 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 68% higher in Vac. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $112 in Vac. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $234 in Vac – so Vac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇭🇺 Vac

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

34,001

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Vac 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Vac

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 Vac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vac is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,969 in Vac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vac, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $506 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,313 in Vac. That makes Playa del Carmen about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,313 in Vac, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,313 in Vac. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vac makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.