Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Vieux Fort Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Vieux Fort

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,034 in Vieux Fort, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,757 in Vieux Fort, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,480 in Vieux Fort, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Vieux Fort, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Vieux Fort are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Vieux Fort 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.66 EC$23.38

35.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$93.9 EC$253

-55.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.63 EC$20.59

39.45%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.57 EC$6.95

36.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.23 EC$3.31

-21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.81 EC$4.88

62.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.61 EC$7.06

70.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.20 EC$3.24

57.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.49 EC$6.71

-34.14%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.39 EC$9.16

-25.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.47 EC$20.18

11.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.12 EC$32.73

-31.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$21.63 EC$58.4

-50.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$6.63 EC$17.90

-60.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$3.33 EC$9.00

-56.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$4.91 EC$13.26

-61.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$8.33 EC$22.50

-75.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$6.40 EC$17.28

-72.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$3.29 EC$8.88

-33.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.80 EC$4.87

-42.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.95 EC$2.56

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$7.54 EC$20.36

-45.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$3.12 EC$8.42

-45.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.01 EC$8.12

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.49 EC$4.03

-65.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

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

$22.22 MX$384

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$54.9 EC$148

-5.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$36.34 EC$98.1

-49.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$10.26 EC$27.70

-50.58%

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

$201 MX$3,473

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$55.4 EC$150

-33.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$110 EC$296

-28.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$72.4 EC$196

20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$561 EC$1,516

73.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$351 EC$948

33.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,112 EC$3,001

47.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$442 EC$1,194

176.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Vieux Fort: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $561 in Vieux Fort. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $94.0 in Vieux Fort. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $364 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Vieux Fort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 25%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,551 in Vieux Fort. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 46% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $94.0 in Vieux Fort. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Vieux Fort, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.