Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ventanas

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventanas: $870 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

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

Cost of Living Index in Ventanas
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Ventanas Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Ventanas

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $870 in Ventanas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Ventanas $870

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,435 in Ventanas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ventanas $1,435

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,000 in Ventanas, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Ventanas $2,000

Playa del Carmen costs about 38% more than Ventanas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ventanas are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Ventanas 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$3.92 $3.92

172.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$53.4 $53.4

-17.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$8.83 $8.83

33.52%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.85 $2.85

32.98%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.93 $0.93

39.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.68 $0.68

22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.98 $2.98

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$4.29 $4.29

14.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$2.01 $2.01

9.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.41 $1.41

4.26%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.11 $2.11

18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$6.81 $6.81

7.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$5.27 $5.27

50.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$9.12 $9.12

41.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.52 $1.52

90.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.19 $1.19

15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.03 $1.03

141.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$0.91 $0.91

123.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.23 $1.23

64.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.99 $0.99

91.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.87 $0.87

31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.97 $0.97

27.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$5.94 $5.94

-28.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$11.98 $11.98

-18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.52 $1.52

4.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.21 $2.21

24.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.36 $0.36

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$2.73 $2.73

74.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.76 $1.76

84.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$11.92 $11.92

-54.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.83 $0.83

84.34%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$23.1K $23.1K

-8.20%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$30.5K $30.5K

-23.84%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$34.86 $34.86

139.50%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$15.13 $15.13

53.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$26.42 $26.42

4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$29.40 $29.40

91.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$16.38 $16.38

72.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$7.56 $7.56

-33.86%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$376 $376

-44.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$5,680 $5,680

-7.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$66.4 $66.4

-34.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$40.16 $40.16

5.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$126 $126

-42.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$93.7 $93.7

-5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$424 $424

134.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$267 $267

43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$826 $826

102.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$500 $500

115.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ventanas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Ventanas

$267 30.7% 30.2% $116

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Ventanas

$200 23% 22.3% $57

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Ventanas

$122 14% 39.1% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Ventanas

$76 8.8% 43.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Ventanas

$147 16.9% 32% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Ventanas

$45 5.1% 33% $22

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ventanas

$13 * 1.5% 74.3% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $424 in Ventanas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $53 in Ventanas. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $200 in Ventanas – so Ventanas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇪🇨 Ventanas

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

38,168

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ventanas 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ventanas

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 Ventanas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 38%, 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 $1,304 in Ventanas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ventanas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $424 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $870 in Ventanas. That makes Ventanas about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $376 in Ventanas. 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 Ventanas, where all-in costs run around $870, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Ventanas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $870 in Ventanas to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.