Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Virginia Beach, VA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
60

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

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,790

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,790 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $2,790
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $3,973 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $3,973
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $5,156 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $5,156
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Virginia Beach, VA costs about 130% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Virginia Beach, VA sits 108% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$10.97 MX$202

61.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$44.85 MX$826

99.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$11.92 MX$220

1.85%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$3.80 MX$70.1

51.32%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.31 MX$24.16

112.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.86 MX$15.77

145.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$3.21 MX$59.2

90.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 $7.21

$5.01 MX$92.3

43.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.46 MX$26.86

-29.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.33 MX$42.86

32.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.44 MX$26.57

277.78%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$2.46 MX$45.34

89.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$7.70 MX$142

31.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$7.89 MX$145

22.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$12.80 MX$236

41.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.92 MX$53.7

-11.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.42 MX$26.19

9.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.57 MX$47.25

101.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.14 MX$39.37

164.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.95 MX$35.86

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.94 MX$35.66

138.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.15 MX$21.20

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.22 MX$22.49

82.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$4.38 MX$80.6

105.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 $12.02

$9.85 MX$182

22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.54 MX$28.32

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.72 MX$50.0

-22.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.52 MX$9.67

294.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 $69.0

$27.42 MX$505

151.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.91 MX$90.5

-4.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$3.52 MX$64.9

-63.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$5.69 MX$105

253.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.54 MX$28.37

-32.47%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$21.2K MX$391.2K

68.96%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.5K MX$451.1K

3.90%

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

$205 $205

$83.6 MX$1,540

145.60%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$24.03 MX$443

146.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$29.33 MX$540

127.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 $44.34

$64.9 MX$1,195

-31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.48 $34.48

$29.46 MX$543

17.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$5.09 MX$93.7

133.60%

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

$1,586 $1,586

$208 MX$3,825

663.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$4,045 MX$74.5K

303.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$44.55 MX$821

35.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.89 $47.89

$42.06 MX$775

13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$75.5 MX$1,391

53.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$91.4 MX$1,683

21.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 $1,823

$986 MX$18.2K

84.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$385 MX$7,095

269.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 $2,785

$1,713 MX$31.6K

62.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,108 MX$20.4K

93.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$4,016 MX$74.0K

-43.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,308 $2,308

$6,247 MX$115.1K

-63.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,203 $4,203

$758 MX$14.0K

454.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.4K 51.8%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 73% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$374 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 30.4% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$331 12%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 58.6% $194

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$312 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 34.7% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$151 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 24.3% $37

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$88 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 41.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$68 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 10.1% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,823 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $986 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 455% higher in Virginia Beach, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

09:44 9:44 AM

1 h behind Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.43 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 18.42 MXN (100 MXN = 5.43 USD). 1 EUR = 20.64 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Virginia Beach, VA Playa del Carmen 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Virginia Beach, VA
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

Virginia Beach, VA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Virginia Beach, VA is pricier by about 130%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,185 per month in Virginia Beach, VA and $1,823 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 130%.

Public transport costs about 152% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Virginia Beach, VA at $2,790. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Virginia Beach, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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