Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ventanas and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventanas: $860 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ventanas
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Ventanas Living Index
58

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

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Ventanas

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$860

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $860 per month in Ventanas vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ventanas $860
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,437 per month in Ventanas vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ventanas $1,437
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,014 per month in Ventanas vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ventanas $2,014
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Ventanas is about 29% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ventanas and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ventanas 37% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 $4.05

$10.92 MX$205

-62.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 $52.5

$43.37 MX$813

21.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 $9.12

$11.78 MX$221

-22.58%

Cappuccino

$2.88 $2.88

$3.81 MX$71.4

-24.41%

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

$0.88 $0.88

$1.28 MX$24.03

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 $0.72

$0.78 MX$14.67

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.17 MX$59.3

-3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.93 MX$92.5

-12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.41 MX$26.35

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.22 MX$41.54

-9.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.42 MX$26.56

-0.70%

Eggs

$2.05 $2.05

$2.52 MX$47.27

-18.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 $7.08

$7.26 MX$136

-2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$7.70 MX$144

-34.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.03 $9.03

$12.69 MX$238

-28.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.78 MX$52.2

-44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.37 MX$25.64

-12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.55 MX$47.80

-61.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.12 MX$39.78

-53.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.94 MX$36.32

-37.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.89 MX$35.34

-52.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.15 MX$21.49

-24.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.18 MX$22.09

-14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.30 MX$80.5

43.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

$9.95 MX$186

18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.58 MX$29.67

-1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.67 MX$50.1

-17.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.55 MX$10.37

-32.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.97 MX$93.1

-43.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.33 MX$62.4

-48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 $11.89

$5.36 MX$100

121.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.44 MX$27.06

-42.36%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$20.7K MX$387.3K

12.98%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$23.5K MX$439.7K

31.87%

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

$33.71 $33.71

$84.8 MX$1,589

-60.24%

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

$14.96 $14.96

$23.41 MX$439

-36.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 $25.70

$28.66 MX$537

-10.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.45 $33.45

$57.1 MX$1,069

-41.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 $15.48

$28.91 MX$542

-46.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 $7.52

$5.14 MX$96.3

46.30%

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

$367 $367

$207 MX$3,871

77.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,718 $5,718

$3,927 MX$73.6K

45.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$43.35 MX$812

52.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 $40.26

$41.44 MX$777

-2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$74.2 MX$1,390

70.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 $90.7

$89.3 MX$1,672

1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 $368

$980 MX$18.4K

-62.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 $254

$381 MX$7,136

-33.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 $696

$1,708 MX$32.0K

-59.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 $513

$1,075 MX$20.1K

-52.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

11.45

-12.23%

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

Last update for Ventanas: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ventanas

$254 29.5%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 49.9% $127

Groceries & Markets

Ventanas

$200 23.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 27.4% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Ventanas

$145 16.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 23.2% $34

Eating Out

Ventanas

$125 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 62.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ventanas

$74 8.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 84% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Ventanas

$49 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 38.8% $19

Getting Around

Ventanas

$13 * 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 294% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $368 in Ventanas versus $980 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 $53 in Ventanas versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Ventanas vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Ventanas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ventanas

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

Same time as Ventanas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,168

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ventanas Playa del Carmen 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ventanas
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,290 per month in Ventanas 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 Ventanas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $368 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $860 in Ventanas and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Ventanas about 29% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $367 per month in Ventanas and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ventanas, where all-in costs run around $860, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Ventanas 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 $860 in Ventanas to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.