Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Villarrica and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Villarrica: $406 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Villarrica
🇨🇱 Chile
$406
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $406 per month in Villarrica vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villarrica $406
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $608 per month in Villarrica vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villarrica $608
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $811 per month in Villarrica vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villarrica $811
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Villarrica is about 66% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Villarrica and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Villarrica 70% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$10.86 MX$201
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$44.21 MX$817
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$11.76 MX$217
-
Cappuccino
$2.34 CLP 2,303
$3.68 MX$68.0
-36.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 CLP 1,528
$1.34 MX$24.79
15.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 CLP 990
$0.82 MX$15.24
23.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.50 CLP 2,465
$3.06 MX$56.6
-18.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.50 CLP 4,431
$4.94 MX$91.2
-8.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 CLP 1,223
$1.47 MX$27.17
-15.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 CLP 2,535
$2.22 MX$40.95
16.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.41 CLP 2,374
$1.48 MX$27.32
62.84%
Eggs
$3.03 CLP 2,986
$2.49 MX$45.99
21.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.26 CLP 8,134
$7.52 MX$139
9.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.72 CLP 10.5K
$7.96 MX$147
34.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.57 MX$232
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 CLP 2,525
$2.78 MX$51.3
-7.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.80 CLP 1,775
$1.43 MX$26.37
25.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.69 CLP 2,648
$2.62 MX$48.37
2.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.38 CLP 1,363
$2.14 MX$39.49
-35.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 CLP 1,448
$2.02 MX$37.38
-27.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.21 CLP 1,189
$1.99 MX$36.74
-39.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 CLP 1,538
$1.14 MX$21.01
36.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 CLP 1,924
$1.20 MX$22.18
62.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.26 MX$78.7
-
Wine (Bottle)
$5.50 CLP 5,417
$10.02 MX$185
-45.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.54 MX$28.41
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 CLP 3,469
$2.66 MX$49.17
32.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.81 CLP 1,777
$0.53 MX$9.73
241.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.51 MX$508
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.02 CLP 1,984
$4.90 MX$90.6
-58.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 CLP 1,989
$3.43 MX$63.5
-41.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.38 MX$99.4
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.45 MX$26.76
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.2K MX$391.0K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$23.0K MX$425.3K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.1 CLP 61.1K
$85.4 MX$1,577
-27.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$23.46 MX$434
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$28.43 MX$525
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.23 CLP 29.8K
$62.2 MX$1,149
-51.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.68 MX$530
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.10 MX$94.3
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$201 MX$3,715
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,947 MX$72.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$44.39 MX$820
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$41.35 MX$764
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$72.7 MX$1,344
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$89.6 MX$1,656
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$979 MX$18.1K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$373 MX$6,887
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,681 MX$31.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,095 MX$20.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$509 CLP 501.0K
$738 MX$13.6K
-30.99%
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 Villarrica: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Villarrica
$234 *
Playa del Carmen
$258 10.3% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villarrica
$62 *
Playa del Carmen
$137 121% $75
Eating Out
Villarrica
$60 *
Playa del Carmen
$200 235% $140
Sport & Entertainment
Villarrica
$30 *
Playa del Carmen
$72 140% $42
Getting Around
Villarrica
$19 *
Playa del Carmen
$52 167% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Villarrica
- *
Playa del Carmen
$112
Accommodation & Living
Villarrica
- *
Playa del Carmen
$373

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 45% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Villarrica
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
07:54 7:54 AM
05:54 5:54 AM
2 h behind Villarrica
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
31,780
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Villarrica Playa del Carmen 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Villarrica
  • 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
Villarrica vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Villarrica?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 197%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $609 per month in Villarrica and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Villarrica and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $406 in Villarrica and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 197%.
How do food prices compare in Villarrica and in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Villarrica or in Playa del Carmen?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Villarrica, where all-in costs run around $406, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Villarrica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Villarrica or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Villarrica – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Villarrica. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Villarrica vs other spots: cost of living compared

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