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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $586 in Villanueva, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $958 in Villanueva, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,330 in Villanueva, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 117% more than Villanueva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Villanueva are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Villanueva 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$5.91 HNL 158

100.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$36.96 HNL 985

16.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$7.45 HNL 199

42.95%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.33 HNL 62.1

48.07%

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

$1.50 MX$26.27

$1.03 HNL 27.42

45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.57

$1.12 HNL 29.87

-15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.9

$1.17 HNL 31.16

158.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.5

$2.63 HNL 70.1

75.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.38 HNL 36.81

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.27

$2.06 HNL 55.0

-10.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.14

$1.21 HNL 32.38

33.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.30

$2.12 HNL 56.6

22.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$6.19 HNL 165

33.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$3.68 HNL 98.2

127.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$8.05 HNL 214

32.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.93

$2.99 HNL 79.7

-12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.99

$1.52 HNL 40.42

-1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.53

$1.49 HNL 39.76

28.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.44

$1.58 HNL 42.18

32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.44

$1.61 HNL 42.80

15.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.50

$1.34 HNL 35.72

68.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.56

$0.90 HNL 23.93

17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$19.00

$1.72 HNL 45.75

-36.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$2.45 HNL 65.3

69.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.12

$1.28 HNL 34.25

34.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.64

$1.86 HNL 49.47

40.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$471

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$4.32 HNL 115

-27.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.27

$1.07 HNL 28.42

18.69%

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

$30.4K MX$530.6K

$19.4K HNL 516.3K

56.79%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$19.0K HNL 507.5K

23.78%

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

$83.0 MX$1,450

$80.9 HNL 2,157

2.55%

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

$22.71 MX$397

$8.82 HNL 235

157.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$515

$40.50 HNL 1,080

-27.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$891

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$5.60 HNL 149

-11.96%

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

$197 MX$3,447

$253 HNL 6,757

-22.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$645

$45.33 HNL 1,208

-18.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$697

$35.17 HNL 937

13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,398

$110 HNL 2,935

-27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,563

$103 HNL 2,744

-13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,334

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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 Villanueva: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Villanueva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $189 – making Villanueva 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 Villanueva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 117%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. 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 $880 in Villanueva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $586 in Villanueva. 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 $253 in Villanueva. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Villanueva, where all-in costs run around $586, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Villanueva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Villanueva – 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 Villanueva. 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.