Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Villahermosa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Villahermosa and in Playa del Carmen: $1,219 and $1,204 a month, rent and utilities included.

Villahermosa, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Villahermosa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,219
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,219 per month in Villahermosa vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villahermosa $1,219
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,057 per month in Villahermosa vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villahermosa $2,057
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,895 per month in Villahermosa vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villahermosa $2,895
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.57 MX$198
$10.92 MX$205
-3.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.43 MX$664
$43.37 MX$813
-18.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.57 MX$198
$11.78 MX$221
-10.27%
Cappuccino
$3.38 MX$63.3
$3.81 MX$71.4
-11.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 MX$22.97
$1.28 MX$24.03
-3.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 MX$21.94
$0.78 MX$14.67
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.84 MX$53.3
$3.17 MX$59.3
-10.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36 MX$100
$4.93 MX$92.5
8.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 MX$32.42
$1.41 MX$26.35
22.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.75 MX$32.72
$2.22 MX$41.54
-21.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 MX$24.60
$1.42 MX$26.56
-7.75%
Eggs
$1.92 MX$35.93
$2.52 MX$47.27
-23.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.45 MX$158
$7.26 MX$136
16.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.51 MX$197
$7.70 MX$144
36.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.38 MX$251
$12.69 MX$238
5.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 MX$63.6
$2.78 MX$52.2
21.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.89
$1.37 MX$25.64
0.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 MX$30.81
$2.55 MX$47.80
-35.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.18 MX$22.08
$2.12 MX$39.78
-44.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 MX$30.84
$1.94 MX$36.32
-14.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 MX$25.03
$1.89 MX$35.34
-29.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 MX$24.64
$1.15 MX$21.49
13.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$1.18 MX$22.09
5.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.42 MX$120
$4.30 MX$80.5
49.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.62 MX$180
$9.95 MX$186
-3.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 MX$50.7
$1.58 MX$29.67
70.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.42 MX$120
$2.67 MX$50.1
140.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.36
$0.55 MX$10.37
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$23.50 MX$440
$26.62 MX$499
-11.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 MX$40.07
$4.97 MX$93.1
-56.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 MX$40.70
$3.33 MX$62.4
-34.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$203
$5.36 MX$100
101.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 MX$25.31
$1.44 MX$27.06
-6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K MX$428.3K
$20.7K MX$387.3K
10.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K MX$498.2K
$23.5K MX$439.7K
13.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.4 MX$1,170
$84.8 MX$1,589
-26.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.41 MX$532
$23.41 MX$439
21.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.67 MX$612
$28.66 MX$537
13.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.0 MX$937
$57.1 MX$1,069
-12.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$542
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.32 MX$81.0
$5.14 MX$96.3
-15.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$303 MX$5,674
$207 MX$3,871
46.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,331 MX$81.2K
$3,927 MX$73.6K
10.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.7 MX$1,195
$43.35 MX$812
47.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$41.44 MX$777
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.6 MX$1,417
$74.2 MX$1,390
1.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.1 MX$1,089
$89.3 MX$1,672
-34.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$476 MX$8,915
$980 MX$18.4K
-51.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$441 MX$8,266
$381 MX$7,136
15.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 MX$29.8K
$1,708 MX$32.0K
-6.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,159 MX$21.7K
$1,075 MX$20.1K
7.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,205 MX$22.6K
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-80.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Villahermosa
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

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

Last update for Villahermosa: October 24, 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
Villahermosa
$441
Playa del Carmen
$381 13.7% $60
Groceries & Markets
Villahermosa
$277
Playa del Carmen
$255 8% $22
Eating Out
Villahermosa
$191
Playa del Carmen
$202 5.8% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villahermosa
$124
Playa del Carmen
$137 10.8% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Villahermosa
$89 *
Playa del Carmen
$112 25.7% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Villahermosa
$59
Playa del Carmen
$67 14.8% $8.7
Getting Around
Villahermosa
$39
Playa del Carmen
$50 30.3% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Villahermosa 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 $35 in Villahermosa versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Villahermosa vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Villahermosa
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
11:37 11:37 AM
12:37 12:37 PM
1 h ahead of Villahermosa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
340,060
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Villahermosa Playa del Carmen 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Villahermosa
  • 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
Villahermosa vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,828 per month in Villahermosa and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Villahermosa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $476 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
How do food prices compare in Villahermosa and in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Villahermosa, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Villahermosa and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either Villahermosa or Playa del Carmen?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,219 in Villahermosa and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Villahermosa or in Playa del Carmen?
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 $1,219 in Villahermosa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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