Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Viro and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Viro and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,768 per month in Porto Viro vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,677 per month in Porto Viro vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,585 per month in Porto Viro vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Porto Viro costs about 41% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Porto Viro sits 32% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.95 €12.21

$11.99 MX$210

16.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 €66.1

$41.78 MX$733

80.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 €10.70

$10.75 MX$189

13.77%

Cappuccino

$1.89 €1.65

$3.50 MX$61.3

-46.00%

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

$3.07 €2.69

$1.45 MX$25.41

111.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.88 MX$15.52

142.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.92

$2.95 MX$51.7

90.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.99

$4.51 MX$79.1

1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.43 MX$25.12

44.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.84 MX$32.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 €2.82

$1.57 MX$27.51

105.10%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.33

$2.51 MX$44.06

51.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.22 €14.19

$8.28 MX$145

95.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.16 €11.51

$8.43 MX$148

56.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 €13.40

$10.68 MX$187

43.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.43

$2.61 MX$45.76

6.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.79

$1.44 MX$25.22

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.86

$1.96 MX$34.41

66.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 €3.04

$2.09 MX$36.74

66.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.85 MX$32.47

-43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.17 MX$38.02

-5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.37 €2.95

$1.03 MX$18.09

227.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.37

$1.07 MX$18.84

-60.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.93

$4.10 MX$72.0

65.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 €5.08

$10.17 MX$178

-42.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.68 MX$29.38

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.26

$2.53 MX$44.31

1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.49

$0.51 MX$8.93

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €38.65

$26.04 MX$457

69.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 €6.09

$3.23 MX$56.7

115.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.03

$2.41 MX$42.19

-51.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.14 €30.75

$3.23 MX$56.6

987.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.32 MX$23.17

52.27%

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

$31.1K €27.2K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

4.79%

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

$27.8K €24.4K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

17.63%

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

$256 €224

$82.0 MX$1,439

211.97%

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

$13.57 €11.88

$22.95 MX$403

-40.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.85 €23.49

$30.11 MX$528

-10.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €48.71

$52.0 MX$912

7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 €20.20

$18.53 MX$325

24.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 €9.44

$4.98 MX$87.3

116.67%

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

$579 €507

$197 MX$3,463

193.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,789 €5,065

$5,336 MX$93.6K

8.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.7

$35.60 MX$624

197.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.56 €42.49

$40.33 MX$707

20.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €88.0

$78.8 MX$1,381

27.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$209 €182

$88.9 MX$1,560

134.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 €667

$947 MX$16.6K

-19.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €498

$474 MX$8,314

20.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 €1,048

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-27.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$933 €816

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-22.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,569 €2,247

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-36.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,060 €1,802

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-68.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.9

11.42

-57.09%

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

Last update for Porto Viro: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $762 in Porto Viro versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $75.0 in Porto Viro versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen 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

Porto Viro vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Porto Viro is pricier by about 41%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,652 per month in Porto Viro and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,768 in Porto Viro and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Porto Viro at $1,768. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Porto Viro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Porto Viro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.