Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Villarrica

For one person, living is cheaper in Villarrica: $406 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Villarrica
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Villarrica Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Villarrica

🇨🇱 Chile

$406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $406 in Villarrica, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Villarrica $406

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $608 in Villarrica, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Villarrica $608

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $811 in Villarrica, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Villarrica $811

Playa del Carmen costs about 197% more than Villarrica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Villarrica are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Villarrica 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.34 CLP 2,303

57.26%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.55 CLP 1,528

-13.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.01 CLP 990

-18.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.50 CLP 2,465

22.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$4.50 CLP 4,431

9.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.24 CLP 1,223

18.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.58 CLP 2,535

-13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.41 CLP 2,374

-38.59%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.03 CLP 2,986

-17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$8.26 CLP 8,134

-8.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$10.72 CLP 10.5K

-25.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.56 CLP 2,525

8.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.80 CLP 1,775

-20.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.69 CLP 2,648

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.38 CLP 1,363

55.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.47 CLP 1,448

37.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.21 CLP 1,189

64.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.56 CLP 1,538

-26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.95 CLP 1,924

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$5.50 CLP 5,417

82.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$3.52 CLP 3,469

-24.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.81 CLP 1,777

-70.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$2.02 CLP 1,984

142.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$2.02 CLP 1,989

69.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$62.1 CLP 61.1K

37.41%

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$30.23 CLP 29.8K

105.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$509 CLP 501.0K

44.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Villarrica: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Villarrica

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Villarrica

$234 * 57.7% 9.4% $24

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Villarrica

$60 * 14.8% 70.1% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Villarrica

$62 * 15.3% 54.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Villarrica

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Villarrica

$30 * 7.5% 58.2% $42

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Villarrica

$19 * 4.8% 62.6% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 45% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇱 Villarrica

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

09:37 9:37 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

31,780

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Villarrica 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Villarrica

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 Villarrica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 197%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $609 in Villarrica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $406 in Villarrica. That's a gap of about 197%.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Villarrica, where all-in costs run around $406, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Villarrica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Villarrica – 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 Villarrica. 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.