Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vila Velha and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Vila Velha: $904 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Vila Velha
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Vila Velha Living Index
57

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

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Vila Velha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$904

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $904 per month in Vila Velha vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vila Velha $904
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,478 per month in Vila Velha vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vila Velha $1,478
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,053 per month in Vila Velha vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Vila Velha $2,053
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Vila Velha is about 25% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vila Velha and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Vila Velha 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 R$46.29

$10.67 MX$198

-20.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.74 R$200

$43.80 MX$813

-16.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 R$39.65

$11.79 MX$219

-38.17%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R$11.88

$3.79 MX$70.3

-42.48%

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

$1.31 R$7.13

$1.30 MX$24.09

0.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 R$2.70

$0.83 MX$15.48

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 R$10.24

$3.15 MX$58.4

-40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R$14.94

$4.93 MX$91.6

-44.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.39

$1.41 MX$26.16

-29.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 R$7.88

$2.20 MX$40.77

-34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.86

$1.47 MX$27.35

23.13%

Eggs

$2.13 R$11.59

$2.50 MX$46.37

-14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 R$45.28

$7.29 MX$135

14.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 R$22.80

$7.95 MX$148

-47.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.59 R$46.70

$12.86 MX$239

-33.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.96

$2.90 MX$53.8

-36.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.70

$1.38 MX$25.69

-36.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 R$6.14

$2.49 MX$46.26

-54.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.63

$2.03 MX$37.70

-39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.40

$2.02 MX$37.61

-41.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.91

$1.90 MX$35.35

-33.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 R$2.31

$1.14 MX$21.25

-62.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.96

$1.24 MX$23.01

-41.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 R$16.66

$4.27 MX$79.3

-28.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 R$45.66

$9.81 MX$182

-14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 R$8.92

$1.59 MX$29.45

3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 R$11.48

$2.75 MX$51.0

-23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.11

$0.51 MX$9.56

84.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.22 R$262

$27.39 MX$509

76.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.90

$4.76 MX$88.4

-73.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$4.09

$3.25 MX$60.3

-76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.85 R$64.4

$5.39 MX$100

119.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$6.37

$1.53 MX$28.38

-23.53%

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

$31.5K R$171.3K

$21.2K MX$393.9K

48.53%

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

$30.9K R$168.1K

$23.3K MX$432.0K

32.88%

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

$105 R$570

$83.5 MX$1,550

25.60%

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

$16.33 R$88.8

$23.19 MX$431

-29.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.03 R$76.3

$27.61 MX$513

-49.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.21 R$137

$56.4 MX$1,048

-55.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 R$142

$28.19 MX$524

-7.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 R$35.75

$5.00 MX$92.9

31.60%

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

$400 R$2,172

$207 MX$3,846

92.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K R$73.9K

$5,231 MX$97.1K

160.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 R$393

$43.45 MX$807

66.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.23 R$262

$42.54 MX$790

13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 R$434

$72.8 MX$1,351

9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 R$385

$88.4 MX$1,641

-19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 R$1,550

$995 MX$18.5K

-71.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 R$1,250

$382 MX$7,102

-39.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 R$2,940

$1,674 MX$31.1K

-67.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 R$2,900

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-50.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,892 R$10.3K

$3,909 MX$72.6K

-51.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 R$10.5K

$6,138 MX$114.0K

-68.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$386 R$2,097

$832 MX$15.5K

-53.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.45

-1.05%

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

Last update for Vila Velha: October 31, 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

Vila Velha

$230 25.5%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 66.3% $152

Groceries & Markets

Vila Velha

$183 20.2%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 41% $75

Eating Out

Vila Velha

$138 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 44.7% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vila Velha

$135 15%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 0.7% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Vila Velha

$122 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 8.8% $11

Getting Around

Vila Velha

$57 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 11.5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Vila Velha

$38 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 73.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $285 in Vila Velha 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 in Playa del Carmen are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Vila Velha versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $257 – making Vila Velha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Vila Velha

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

2 h behind Vila Velha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

467,722

149,923

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 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 BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Vila Velha Playa del Carmen 6,830 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,355 per month in Vila Velha 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 Vila Velha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $904 in Vila Velha and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Vila Velha about 25% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vila Velha, where all-in costs run around $904, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Vila Velha 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 $904 in Vila Velha to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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