Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vac and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,313 in Vac, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Vac
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Vac Living Index
57

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

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Vac

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,313

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vac 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 Vac and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,313 per month in Vac vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vac $1,313
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $2,227 per month in Vac vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vac $2,227
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,141 per month in Vac vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vac $3,141
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Vac costs about 9% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vac and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Vac 3% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.27 Ft 6,271

$10.67 MX$198

80.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 Ft 36.4K

$43.80 MX$813

155.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 Ft 3,076

$11.79 MX$219

-19.85%

Cappuccino

$2.50 Ft 814

$3.79 MX$70.3

-34.04%

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

$1.51 Ft 493

$1.30 MX$24.09

16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 417

$0.83 MX$15.48

54.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 Ft 767

$3.15 MX$58.4

-25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 Ft 762

$4.93 MX$91.6

-52.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 Ft 425

$1.41 MX$26.16

-7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 Ft 472

$2.20 MX$40.77

-34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.47 MX$27.35

60.54%

Eggs

$3.27 Ft 1,065

$2.50 MX$46.37

30.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 Ft 2,771

$7.29 MX$135

16.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 Ft 1,955

$7.95 MX$148

-24.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.52 Ft 5,374

$12.86 MX$239

28.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 613

$2.90 MX$53.8

-35.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 Ft 674

$1.38 MX$25.69

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 677

$2.49 MX$46.26

-16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 Ft 765

$2.03 MX$37.70

15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 Ft 542

$2.02 MX$37.61

-17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 Ft 355

$1.90 MX$35.35

-42.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 Ft 454

$1.14 MX$21.25

21.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Ft 160

$1.24 MX$23.01

-60.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,534

$4.27 MX$79.3

82.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 Ft 1,621

$9.81 MX$182

-49.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 Ft 288

$1.59 MX$29.45

-44.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 Ft 692

$2.75 MX$51.0

-22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 Ft 371

$0.51 MX$9.56

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 Ft 9,299

$27.39 MX$509

4.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 Ft 896

$4.76 MX$88.4

-42.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 Ft 551

$3.25 MX$60.3

-48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.20 Ft 6,247

$5.39 MX$100

256.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 603

$1.53 MX$28.38

20.92%

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

$25.7K Ft 8.4M

$21.2K MX$393.9K

21.31%

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

$38.6K Ft 12.6M

$23.3K MX$432.0K

65.90%

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

$150 Ft 48.9K

$83.5 MX$1,550

79.93%

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

$23.67 Ft 7,701

$23.19 MX$431

2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.25 Ft 6,913

$27.61 MX$513

-23.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.28 Ft 15.7K

$56.4 MX$1,048

-14.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 Ft 5,856

$28.19 MX$524

-36.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.37 Ft 2,722

$5.00 MX$92.9

67.40%

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

$248 Ft 80.7K

$207 MX$3,846

19.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,786 Ft 2.5M

$5,231 MX$97.1K

48.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 Ft 29.4K

$43.45 MX$807

107.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 Ft 10.3K

$42.54 MX$790

-25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 Ft 27.5K

$72.8 MX$1,351

16.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 Ft 33.9K

$88.4 MX$1,641

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 Ft 164.6K

$995 MX$18.5K

-49.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 Ft 128.1K

$382 MX$7,102

2.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 Ft 266.0K

$1,674 MX$31.1K

-51.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 Ft 245.3K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-30.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,252 Ft 1.1M

$3,909 MX$72.6K

-16.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,506 Ft 815.5K

$6,138 MX$114.0K

-59.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 Ft 455.7K

$832 MX$15.5K

68.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Vac: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vac

$394 30%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 2.9% $11

Eating Out

Vac

$240 18.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 16.6% $40

Groceries & Markets

Vac

$234 17.9%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 9.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vac

$195 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 31.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Vac

$140 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 20.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Vac

$65 5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 2.2% $1.4

Getting Around

Vac

$44 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 13.7% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Vac versus $995 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 68% higher in Vac. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $112 in Vac versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Vac vs $257 in Playa del Carmen – so Vac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Vac

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

11:49 11:49 AM

6 h behind Vac

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,001

149,923

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Vac Playa del Carmen 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Vac
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

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

Yes – Vac is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,969 per month in Vac and $1,804 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 Vac, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $506 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,313 in Vac and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,313 in Vac and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,313 in Vac. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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