Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Villarrica, Paraguay and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Villarrica: $994 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Villarrica, Paraguay
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Villarrica
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$994
/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 $994 per month in Villarrica vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villarrica $994
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,275 per month in Villarrica vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villarrica $1,275
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,556 per month in Villarrica vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Villarrica $1,556
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Villarrica is about 17% 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 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.89 ₲40.0K
$10.92 MX$204
-36.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.97 ₲121.7K
$43.37 MX$808
-51.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.83 ₲39.6K
$11.78 MX$220
-42.02%
Cappuccino
$3.48 ₲20.2K
$3.81 MX$71.0
-8.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04 ₲6,028
$1.28 MX$23.90
-18.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₲3,469
$0.78 MX$14.59
-23.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.50 ₲8,687
$3.17 MX$59.0
-52.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 ₲7,667
$4.93 MX$92.0
-73.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 ₲6,789
$1.41 MX$26.22
-17.02%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 ₲7,616
$2.22 MX$41.33
-40.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 ₲7,921
$1.42 MX$26.42
-4.23%
Eggs
$2.12 ₲12.3K
$2.52 MX$47.03
-15.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.21 ₲53.5K
$7.26 MX$135
26.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.07 ₲23.6K
$7.70 MX$143
-47.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.25 ₲59.5K
$12.69 MX$237
-19.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 ₲17.9K
$2.78 MX$51.9
10.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 ₲6,865
$1.37 MX$25.50
-13.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.23 ₲7,134
$2.55 MX$47.55
-51.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 ₲14.0K
$2.12 MX$39.58
14.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 ₲7,871
$1.94 MX$36.13
-29.90%
Onion (1kg)
$0.78 ₲4,533
$1.89 MX$35.16
-58.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.83 ₲4,840
$1.15 MX$21.37
-27.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 ₲4,086
$1.18 MX$21.98
-40.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.23 ₲7,113
$4.30 MX$80.1
-71.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.22 ₲53.5K
$9.95 MX$185
-7.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.64 ₲3,694
$1.58 MX$29.52
-59.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₲10.1K
$2.67 MX$49.79
-34.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.31
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$496
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.45 ₲8,425
$4.97 MX$92.6
-70.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 ₲8,891
$3.33 MX$62.1
-54.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.31 ₲30.8K
$5.36 MX$99.8
-0.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ₲7,460
$1.44 MX$26.92
-10.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.2K ₲100.1M
$20.7K MX$385.2K
-16.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K ₲175.3M
$23.5K MX$437.4K
28.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$31.17 ₲180.9K
$84.8 MX$1,581
-63.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 ₲101.8K
$23.41 MX$436
-25.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.03 ₲127.8K
$28.66 MX$534
-23.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.16 ₲198.2K
$57.1 MX$1,063
-40.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.42 ₲19.8K
$28.91 MX$539
-88.17%
Cinema Ticket
$8.63 ₲50.1K
$5.14 MX$95.8
67.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$42.77 ₲248.2K
$207 MX$3,851
-79.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,861 ₲34.0M
$3,927 MX$73.2K
49.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.0 ₲377.1K
$43.35 MX$808
49.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.4 ₲327.2K
$41.44 MX$772
36.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 ₲619.9K
$74.2 MX$1,383
43.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.5 ₲414.8K
$89.3 MX$1,664
-19.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$980 MX$18.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$395 ₲2.3M
$381 MX$7,099
3.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$262 ₲1.5M
$1,708 MX$31.8K
-84.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$207 ₲1.2M
$1,075 MX$20.0K
-80.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Villarrica
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$558 ₲3.2M
$735 MX$13.7K
-24.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.5
11.45
-8.30%

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

Last update for Villarrica: October 27, 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
Villarrica
$395
Playa del Carmen
$381 3.5% $14
Groceries & Markets
Villarrica
$200
Playa del Carmen
$255 27.7% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Villarrica
$135
Playa del Carmen
$112 17.2% $23
Eating Out
Villarrica
$134
Playa del Carmen
$202 50.9% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Villarrica
$71
Playa del Carmen
$137 93.5% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Villarrica
$51
Playa del Carmen
$67 30.9% $16
Getting Around
Villarrica
$9.1 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 454% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 32% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Villarrica versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $255 – making Villarrica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇾 Villarrica
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
02:16 2:16 AM
00:16 12:16 AM
2 h behind Villarrica
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
73,400
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 5,803 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.72 USD). 1 EUR = 6,460 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.55 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Villarrica Playa del Carmen 6,130 km ≈ 8 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 Villarrica cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 21%, 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 $1,492 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 $994 in Villarrica and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Villarrica about 17% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $43 per month in Villarrica 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 $800 enough to cover costs in Villarrica or in Playa del Carmen?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $994 in Villarrica and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Villarrica or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $994 in Villarrica to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Villarrica. 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.

Villarrica vs other spots: cost of living compared

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