Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tortola and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,423 in Tortola, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,423

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,423 per month in Tortola vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tortola $2,423
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,123 per month in Tortola vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tortola $4,123
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $5,823 per month in Tortola vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tortola $5,823
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Tortola costs about 101% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tortola sits 79% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.64 $21.64

$10.86 MX$201

99.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 $84.4

$44.21 MX$817

91.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$11.76 MX$217

25.60%

Cappuccino

$7.82 $7.82

$3.68 MX$68.0

112.50%

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

$1.88 $1.88

$1.34 MX$24.79

40.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.82 MX$15.24

67.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.06 MX$56.6

32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.94 MX$91.2

0.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.47 MX$27.17

108.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.22 MX$40.95

115.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$1.48 MX$27.32

356.08%

Eggs

$7.29 $7.29

$2.49 MX$45.99

192.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$7.52 MX$139

70.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$7.96 MX$147

60.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$12.57 MX$232

59.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.78 MX$51.3

-27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.43 MX$26.37

172.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.62 MX$48.37

-25.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.36 $7.36

$2.14 MX$39.49

243.93%

Potato (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$2.02 MX$37.38

195.54%

Onion (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.99 MX$36.74

147.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$11.97 $11.97

$1.14 MX$21.01

950.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.26 MX$78.7

19.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 $11.14

$10.02 MX$185

11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.54 MX$28.41

163.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

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)

$101 $101

$85.4 MX$1,577

18.58%

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

$101 $101

$23.46 MX$434

329.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.1 $99.1

$28.43 MX$525

248.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 $19.99

$5.10 MX$94.3

291.96%

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)

$1,406 $1,406

$979 MX$18.1K

43.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 $1,233

$373 MX$6,887

230.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,293 $3,293

$1,681 MX$31.1K

95.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 $3,061

$1,095 MX$20.2K

179.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

76.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,598 $1,598

$738 MX$13.6K

116.64%

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 Tortola: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tortola

–

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Groceries & Markets

Tortola

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Eating Out

Tortola

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tortola

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Tortola

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Tortola

–

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Getting Around

Tortola

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,406 in Tortola versus $979 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.

Salaries run about 117% higher in Tortola, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Tortola versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $494 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇬 Tortola

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

1 h behind Tortola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,449

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tortola Playa del Carmen 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tortola
Playa del Carmen

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

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

Yes – Tortola is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,634 per month in Tortola and $1,806 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.

Groceries cost about 91% more in Tortola, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Tortola and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Tortola at $2,423. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tortola 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, Tortola makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.