Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Villahermosa

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Villahermosa: $1,204 and $1,219 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Villahermosa, Mexico
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Villahermosa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,219
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,219 in Villahermosa, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Villahermosa $1,219

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,057 in Villahermosa, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Villahermosa $2,057

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,895 in Villahermosa, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Villahermosa $2,895

Playa del Carmen and Villahermosa have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Playa del Carmen and Villahermosa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Villahermosa 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$10.57 MX$198
3.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$35.43 MX$664
22.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$10.57 MX$198
11.45%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$3.38 MX$63.3
12.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$1.23 MX$22.97
4.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$1.17 MX$21.94
-33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$2.84 MX$53.3
11.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$5.36 MX$100
-8.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.73 MX$32.42
-18.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$1.75 MX$32.72
26.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$1.31 MX$24.60
8.40%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$1.92 MX$35.93
31.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$8.45 MX$158
-14.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$10.51 MX$197
-26.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$13.38 MX$251
-5.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$3.39 MX$63.6
-17.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$1.38 MX$25.89
-0.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$1.64 MX$30.81
55.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$1.18 MX$22.08
79.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$1.65 MX$30.84
17.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$1.34 MX$25.03
41.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$1.31 MX$24.64
-12.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$1.24 MX$23.27
-4.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$6.42 MX$120
-33.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$9.62 MX$180
3.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$2.70 MX$50.7
-41.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$6.42 MX$120
-58.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$0.55 MX$10.36
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
$23.50 MX$440
13.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$2.14 MX$40.07
132.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$2.17 MX$40.70
53.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$10.82 MX$203
-50.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.35 MX$25.31
6.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$22.9K MX$428.3K
-9.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$26.6K MX$498.2K
-11.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$62.4 MX$1,170
35.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$28.41 MX$532
-17.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$32.67 MX$612
-12.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$50.0 MX$937
14.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$4.32 MX$81.0
18.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$303 MX$5,674
-31.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$4,331 MX$81.2K
-9.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$63.7 MX$1,195
-31.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$75.6 MX$1,417
-1.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$58.1 MX$1,089
53.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$476 MX$8,915
105.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$441 MX$8,266
-13.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$1,589 MX$29.8K
7.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$1,159 MX$21.7K
-7.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$1,205 MX$22.6K
411.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Villahermosa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Villahermosa
$441 15.8% $60
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Villahermosa
$277 8.6% $22
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Villahermosa
$191 5.5% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Villahermosa
$124 9.7% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Villahermosa
$89 * 20.5% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Villahermosa
$59 12.9% $8.7
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Villahermosa
$39 23.3% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $476 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $35 in Villahermosa. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $277 in Villahermosa – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Villahermosa
🕒 Local time
12:37 12:37 PM
11:37 11:37 AM
1 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
340,060
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Villahermosa 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Villahermosa

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 Villahermosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,828 in Villahermosa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Villahermosa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $476 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Villahermosa?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Villahermosa, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $303 in Villahermosa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either Playa del Carmen or Villahermosa?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,219 in Villahermosa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Villahermosa?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,219 in Villahermosa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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