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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,127 in Villahermosa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,826 in Villahermosa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,525 in Villahermosa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 13% more than Villahermosa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Villahermosa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Villahermosa 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.78 MX$185

10.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$33.78 MX$580

27.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$10.66 MX$183

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.17 MX$54.4

8.83%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.18 MX$20.20

27.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.01 MX$17.41

-5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.82 MX$48.36

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$5.23 MX$89.8

-11.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.41 MX$24.21

-2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.55 MX$26.59

19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.35 MX$23.12

19.26%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.39 MX$40.97

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.22 MX$141

0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.40 MX$178

-19.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.11 MX$225

-18.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.39 MX$58.2

-22.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.30 MX$22.39

14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.62 MX$27.76

18.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.16 MX$19.99

80.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.55 MX$26.55

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.30 MX$22.38

73.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.29 MX$22.09

-17.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.06 MX$18.20

2.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.02 MX$86.2

-17.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.19 MX$175

1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.69 MX$46.17

-36.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$6.53 MX$112

-60.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.61 MX$10.42

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.18 MX$37.39

43.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.59 MX$27.23

57.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.22 MX$141

-61.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.23 MX$21.15

3.25%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.6K MX$388.6K

34.16%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$26.1K MX$447.6K

-9.64%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$60.4 MX$1,037

37.39%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$28.94 MX$497

-21.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.95 MX$497

1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$45.69 MX$784

11.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$15.66 MX$269

17.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.63 MX$62.2

35.81%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$293 MX$5,032

-32.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,245 MX$72.9K

24.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$56.9 MX$977

-35.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$39.41 MX$676

1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$77.6 MX$1,331

3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$59.2 MX$1,015

51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$345 MX$5,914

177.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$372 MX$6,379

28.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$817 MX$14.0K

101.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$826 MX$14.2K

48.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,242 MX$21.3K

419.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.5

-0.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $345 in Villahermosa. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Villahermosa. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $270 in Villahermosa – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Villahermosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 13%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,691 in Villahermosa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Villahermosa, 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,127 in Villahermosa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $293 in Villahermosa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Villahermosa, where all-in costs run around $1,127, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Villahermosa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Villahermosa – 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 Villahermosa. 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.