Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Vratsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Vratsa: $826 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Vratsa
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Vratsa Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Vratsa

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $826 in Vratsa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Vratsa $826

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,255 in Vratsa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Vratsa $1,255

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,684 in Vratsa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Vratsa $1,684

Playa del Carmen costs about 46% more than Vratsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Vratsa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Vratsa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$8.49 BGN 14.85

28.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$28.23 BGN 49.41

53.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.65 BGN 9.88

108.50%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.22 BGN 3.88

71.62%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.56 BGN 2.73

-17.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.82 BGN 1.44

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.68 BGN 2.94

88.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.03 BGN 3.55

142.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.33 BGN 2.32

6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.84 BGN 1.47

164.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.35 BGN 2.36

5.19%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.28 BGN 3.99

10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$9.35 BGN 16.36

-22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$5.62 BGN 9.83

37.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$8.41 BGN 14.71

50.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.25 BGN 2.19

122.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.64 BGN 2.87

-16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.11 BGN 1.94

129.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.73 BGN 3.02

22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.98 BGN 1.72

97.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.71 BGN 1.25

166.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.56 BGN 0.98

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.54 BGN 0.95

118.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$3.49 BGN 6.10

23.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$5.22 BGN 9.13

90.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.08 BGN 1.90

46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.74 BGN 3.04

53.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.82 BGN 1.44

-32.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$25.24 BGN 44.17

5.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.88 BGN 1.54

464.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.62 BGN 1.08

437.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$6.45 BGN 11.28

-16.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.56 BGN 2.73

-7.69%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$30.4K BGN 53.3K

-32.10%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$23.4K BGN 41.0K

0.23%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$94.3 BGN 165

-10.11%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$12.63 BGN 22.09

85.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$12.23 BGN 21.40

134.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$22.92 BGN 40.11

148.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$19.29 BGN 33.77

49.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$5.80 BGN 10.15

-11.38%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$223 BGN 390

-7.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$2,257 BGN 3,949

74.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$30.65 BGN 53.6

41.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$19.41 BGN 33.97

113.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$64.4 BGN 113

15.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$50.4 BGN 88.2

77.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$337 BGN 590

190.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$253 BGN 444

50.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$550 BGN 962

210.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$401 BGN 703

167.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,309 BGN 2,291

201.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,114 BGN 1,950

452.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,080 BGN 1,890

-32.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.99

282.94%

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 Vratsa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Vratsa

$253 30.7% 33.4% $127

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Vratsa

$179 21.7% 29.7% $76

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Vratsa

$133 16.2% 34% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Vratsa

$119 14.4% 12.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Vratsa

$74 9% 33.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Vratsa

$35 4.2% 48.7% $33

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Vratsa

$33 3.9% 35.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $337 in Vratsa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Vratsa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $28 in Vratsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $179 – making Vratsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇬 Vratsa

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

13:46 1:46 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

60,877

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Vratsa 10,000 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Vratsa

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 Vratsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,240 in Vratsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vratsa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $826 in Vratsa. That makes Vratsa about 31% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Vratsa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vratsa, where all-in costs run around $826, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Vratsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $826 in Vratsa to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Vratsa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 31% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.