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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $758 in Vacoas, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,100 in Vacoas, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,443 in Vacoas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Vacoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Vacoas are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Vacoas 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.91 MUR 279

96.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$32.39 MUR 1,527

45.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.45 MUR 304

84.19%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.68 MUR 126

48.51%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.17 MUR 55.4

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.62 MUR 29.09

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.68 MUR 126

19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.92 MUR 185

73.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.46 MUR 69.0

15.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.69 MUR 32.44

218.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.12 MUR 52.7

52.68%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.23 MUR 105

22.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$2.71 MUR 128

253.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.50 MUR 118

260.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.15 MUR 526

14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.51 MUR 119

15.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.28 MUR 107

-34.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.44 MUR 68.1

49.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.98 MUR 141

-24.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.03 MUR 48.42

92.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.02 MUR 48.00

95.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.74 MUR 34.65

66.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.72 MUR 33.99

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$6.22 MUR 293

-26.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.31 MUR 297

64.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.44 MUR 68.0

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.39 MUR 112

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.29 MUR 60.8

-53.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$4.18 MUR 197

28.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.24 MUR 152

15.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.31 MUR 203

33.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.32 MUR 62.3

16.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

-24.04%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$31.5K MUR 1.5M

-17.35%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$44.29 MUR 2,087

106.32%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.41 MUR 491

142.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$24.75 MUR 1,166

26.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$25.18 MUR 1,187

166.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.46 MUR 257

-10.99%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$128 MUR 6,033

74.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,694 MUR 362.6K

-45.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$32.18 MUR 1,517

46.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$38.77 MUR 1,827

14.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$63.7 MUR 3,002

25.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$46.98 MUR 2,214

97.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$263 MUR 12.4K

303.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$219 MUR 10.3K

78.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$472 MUR 22.2K

355.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$232 MUR 10.9K

447.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$700 MUR 33.0K

8.29%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $263 in Vacoas. 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 8% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Vacoas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $177 – making Vacoas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,137 in Vacoas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $758 in Vacoas. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $128 in Vacoas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vacoas, where all-in costs run around $758, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Vacoas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vacoas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Vacoas. 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.