Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto la Cruz and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto la Cruz: $745 a month against $1,327 in Ajijic, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Puerto la Cruz
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Puerto la Cruz Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index

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Puerto la Cruz

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$745

/mo nomad

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto la Cruz and in Ajijic

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto la Cruz and in Ajijic actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $745 per month in Puerto la Cruz vs $1,327 in Ajijic, rent included.

Puerto la Cruz $745
Ajijic $1,327

A couple spends around $1,322 per month in Puerto la Cruz vs $2,083 in Ajijic, rent included.

Puerto la Cruz $1,322
Ajijic $2,083

A family of three spends $1,899 per month in Puerto la Cruz vs $2,840 in Ajijic, rent included.

Puerto la Cruz $1,899
Ajijic $2,840

Puerto la Cruz is about 44% cheaper than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Puerto la Cruz and Ajijic are more affordable than the global median – Puerto la Cruz 45% lower, Ajijic 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.09 VES 8,937

$9.36 MX$175

7.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 VES 53.9K

$42.80 MX$800

42.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 VES 6,667

$6.89 MX$129

9.29%

Cappuccino

$3.59 VES 3,182

$3.53 MX$66.0

1.70%

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

$0.66 VES 587

$1.58 MX$29.46

-58.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 VES 426

$1.16 MX$21.66

-58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 VES 1,084

$2.18 MX$40.80

-44.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 VES 1,368

$3.29 MX$61.4

-53.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 VES 1,749

$1.43 MX$26.69

37.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 VES 1,079

$2.18 MX$40.77

-44.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 VES 1,095

$1.09 MX$20.46

13.76%

Eggs

$2.35 VES 2,083

$2.25 MX$42.00

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 VES 6,145

$7.96 MX$149

-12.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 VES 7,772

$8.19 MX$153

7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 VES 9,734

$7.07 MX$132

55.45%

Apples (1kg)

$7.24 VES 6,410

$2.17 MX$40.57

233.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 VES 1,135

$1.30 MX$24.37

-1.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 VES 429

$1.52 MX$28.48

-68.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 VES 2,008

$1.68 MX$31.33

35.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 VES 1,966

$1.51 MX$28.12

47.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 VES 1,898

$1.39 MX$25.90

53.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 VES 1,435

$1.02 MX$19.07

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 VES 1,452

$0.88 MX$16.43

86.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 VES 3,605

$4.43 MX$82.8

-8.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 VES 6,889

$8.58 MX$160

-9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 VES 865

$1.50 MX$28.04

-34.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 VES 1,341

$1.30 MX$24.23

16.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 VES 322

$0.68 MX$12.63

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.65 VES 27.2K

$57.9 MX$1,081

-47.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 VES 2,581

$1.24 MX$23.20

134.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 VES 2,396

$4.23 MX$79.0

-36.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 VES 8,741

$10.75 MX$201

-8.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 462

$1.48 MX$27.57

-64.86%

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

$25.3K VES 22.4M

$24.6K MX$460.5K

2.64%

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

$39.0K VES 34.5M

$23.6K MX$441.8K

64.76%

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

$22.07 VES 19.6K

$55.2 MX$1,032

-60.05%

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

$9.98 VES 8,845

$14.17 MX$265

-29.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 VES 24.6K

$24.59 MX$460

12.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.56 VES 27.1K

$24.01 MX$449

27.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.36 VES 22.5K

$5.27 MX$98.5

381.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 VES 4,325

$4.77 MX$89.1

2.31%

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

$60.8 VES 53.9K

$211 MX$3,944

-71.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,941 VES 2.6M

$2,800 MX$52.3K

5.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.33 VES 42.8K

$42.69 MX$798

13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 VES 30.3K

$16.24 MX$303

110.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.42 VES 40.2K

$66.4 MX$1,241

-31.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.28 VES 41.9K

$69.5 MX$1,299

-32.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 VES 132.7K

$844 MX$15.8K

-82.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.1 VES 85.2K

$644 MX$12.0K

-85.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 VES 275.5K

$1,509 MX$28.2K

-79.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 VES 180.5K

$1,248 MX$23.3K

-83.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$741 VES 656.7K

$3,324 MX$62.1K

-77.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$372 VES 329.1K

$1,782 MX$33.3K

-79.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$229 VES 203.1K

$548 MX$10.2K

-58.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

33.93%

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

Last update for Puerto la Cruz: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Puerto la Cruz

$262 35.1%

Ajijic

$218 16.4% 16.7% $44

Eating Out

Puerto la Cruz

$160 21.5%

Ajijic

$166 12.5% 3.9% $6.2

Accommodation & Living

Puerto la Cruz

$96 12.9%

Ajijic

$644 48.6% 570% $548

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto la Cruz

$79 10.6%

Ajijic

$88 6.6% 11.3% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto la Cruz

$60 8%

Ajijic

$94 7.1% 57.3% $34

Getting Around

Puerto la Cruz

$49 6.5%

Ajijic

$83 6.3% 70.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto la Cruz

$40 5.4%

Ajijic

$34 2.5% 16.8% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $150 in Puerto la Cruz versus $844 in Ajijic. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ajijic are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Puerto la Cruz versus $43 in Ajijic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $218 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Puerto la Cruz

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

06:00 6:00 AM

2 h behind Puerto la Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

272,231

11,439

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puerto la Cruz Ajijic 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto la Cruz
Ajijic

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

Puerto la Cruz vs Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajijic is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,118 per month in Puerto la Cruz and $1,990 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto la Cruz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $150 there versus $844 in Ajijic.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Puerto la Cruz and $43 in Ajijic. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $745 in Puerto la Cruz and $1,327 in Ajijic. That’s a gap of about 78%.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Puerto la Cruz, where all-in costs run around $745, than in Ajijic at $1,327. In Puerto la Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ajijic it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto la Cruz – 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 Puerto la Cruz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajijic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.