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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,102 in Villahermosa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,828 in Villahermosa, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,555 in Villahermosa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% 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 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.61 MX$184

10.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$34.20 MX$592

22.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$10.41 MX$180

0.96%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.18 MX$55.1

12.89%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.17 MX$20.25

29.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.01 MX$17.49

-8.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.71 MX$46.97

9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$5.34 MX$92.5

-17.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.39 MX$24.09

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.57 MX$27.08

19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.28 MX$22.20

21.88%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.41 MX$41.73

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.21 MX$142

1.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$10.23 MX$177

-18.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.00 MX$225

-16.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.26 MX$56.3

-16.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.29 MX$22.30

17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.57 MX$27.20

19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.21 MX$20.87

80.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.61 MX$27.89

15.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.33 MX$23.03

67.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.35 MX$23.42

-20.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.10 MX$19.08

-0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.03 MX$87.0

-16.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$9.87 MX$171

5.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.65 MX$45.90

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$6.41 MX$111

-59.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.61 MX$10.53

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.13 MX$36.89

44.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.54 MX$26.67

55.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$8.38 MX$145

-62.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.27 MX$21.98

3.15%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$22.2K MX$384.3K

34.21%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$26.8K MX$464.5K

-13.12%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$60.8 MX$1,051

33.79%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$28.44 MX$492

-20.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$28.93 MX$501

3.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$44.45 MX$769

19.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.05 MX$278

14.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.67 MX$63.6

34.06%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$291 MX$5,042

-31.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,359 MX$75.4K

18.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$57.7 MX$998

-37.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$40.22 MX$696

-0.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.6 MX$1,326

3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$57.4 MX$992

50.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$341 MX$5,906

186.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$365 MX$6,314

28.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$816 MX$14.1K

102.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$813 MX$14.1K

47.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,250 MX$21.6K

428.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $341 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Villahermosa. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $267 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 14%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,652 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,102 in Villahermosa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $291 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 $1,102, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.