Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vila Real and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Vila Real and in Playa del Carmen: $1,223 and $1,204 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Vila Real
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Vila Real Living Index
58

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

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Vila Real

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,223

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Vila Real vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vila Real $1,223
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,790 per month in Vila Real vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vila Real $1,790
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,356 per month in Vila Real vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vila Real $2,356
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Vila Real and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Vila Real and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Vila Real 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 €8.17

$10.92 MX$205

-16.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.82 €24.92

$43.37 MX$814

-35.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 €6.81

$11.78 MX$221

-35.40%

Cappuccino

$1.10 €0.99

$3.81 MX$71.5

-71.13%

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

$1.70 €1.52

$1.28 MX$24.07

32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$0.78 MX$14.70

44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.17 MX$59.5

7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.38

$4.93 MX$92.7

-68.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 €0.82

$1.41 MX$26.40

-35.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.25

$2.22 MX$41.62

-37.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.42 MX$26.61

-15.49%

Eggs

$2.63 €2.36

$2.52 MX$47.36

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 €8.66

$7.26 MX$136

33.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 €6.98

$7.70 MX$144

1.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 €13.29

$12.69 MX$238

16.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$2.78 MX$52.3

-39.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.37 MX$25.68

-2.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 €1.41

$2.55 MX$47.89

-38.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.34

$2.12 MX$39.86

23.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.94 MX$36.39

-26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.89 MX$35.41

-8.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.15 MX$21.53

1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 €0.38

$1.18 MX$22.13

-63.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 €5.64

$4.30 MX$80.6

46.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.37 €3.91

$9.95 MX$187

-56.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.58 MX$29.73

-30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.46

$2.67 MX$50.1

-38.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.55 MX$10.39

129.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.62 €22.05

$26.62 MX$500

-7.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.75

$4.97 MX$93.3

-15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.52

$3.33 MX$62.5

-48.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.81 €15.05

$5.36 MX$101

213.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.87

$1.44 MX$27.11

44.44%

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

$31.6K €28.3K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

53.12%

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

$37.4K €33.5K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

59.30%

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

$109 €97.3

$84.8 MX$1,592

28.07%

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

$16.62 €14.89

$23.41 MX$439

-29.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.77 €41.00

$28.66 MX$538

59.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.35 €28.97

$57.1 MX$1,071

-43.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.22 €9.15

$28.91 MX$543

-64.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.91 €7.98

$5.14 MX$96.5

73.35%

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

$328 €294

$207 MX$3,878

58.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,782 €8,760

$3,927 MX$73.7K

149.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 €58.1

$43.35 MX$814

49.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.30 €28.04

$41.44 MX$778

-24.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 €75.8

$74.2 MX$1,393

14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 €69.3

$89.3 MX$1,676

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 €703

$980 MX$18.4K

-19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 €431

$381 MX$7,150

26.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 €905

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-40.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €685

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-28.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,711 €1,533

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-56.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,313 €1,176

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-78.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 €963

$735 MX$13.8K

46.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

11.45

-69.00%

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

Last update for Vila Real: 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

Vila Real

$481 39.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 20.9% $101

Groceries & Markets

Vila Real

$222 18.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 15% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vila Real

$171 14%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 20% $34

Eating Out

Vila Real

$140 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 44.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Vila Real

$116 9.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 3.8% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Vila Real

$50 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 34.2% $17

Getting Around

Vila Real

$42 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 19.2% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $785 in Vila Real 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.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Vila Real. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Vila Real versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $255 – making Vila Real the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Vila Real

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

21:47 9:47 PM

5 h behind Vila Real

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,574

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Vila Real Playa del Carmen 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Vila Real
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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,835 per month in Vila Real 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 Vila Real, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $785 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Vila Real – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $328 per month in Vila Real and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,223 in Vila Real and $1,204 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,223 in Vila Real. 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, Vila Real makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.