Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Vieux Fort

For one person, living is cheaper in Vieux Fort: $104 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Vieux Fort

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Vieux Fort

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $104 in Vieux Fort, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Vieux Fort $104

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $160 in Vieux Fort, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Vieux Fort $160

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $216 in Vieux Fort, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Vieux Fort $216

Playa del Carmen costs about 1060% more than Vieux Fort, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Vieux Fort are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Vieux Fort 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$8.24 EC$22.24

31.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$9.08 EC$24.52

29.52%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.18 EC$3.19

-30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.50 EC$4.06

-64.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Vieux Fort: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Vieux Fort

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Vieux Fort

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Vieux Fort

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Vieux Fort

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Vieux Fort

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Vieux Fort

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Vieux Fort

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇱🇨 Vieux Fort

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

02:41 2:41 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

16,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Vieux Fort 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Vieux Fort

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 Vieux Fort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 1060%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $156 in Vieux Fort. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Vieux Fort, where all-in costs run around $104, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Vieux Fort it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vieux Fort – 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 Vieux Fort. 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.