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City comparison

Playa del Carmen vs Caracas

In short

Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.

  • Rent

    in Playa del Carmen cheaper — −61%

  • Private school

    in Caracas cheaper — −41%

  • Ready-made house

    in Playa del Carmen cheaper — −51%

In numbers

Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.

  • House or apartment rent

    per month
    Playa del Carmen≈ $698–1,490MX$12,500–26,750
    cheaper by 61%
    Caracas$750–4,900$750–4,900
  • Private school

    per month
    Playa del Carmen≈ $250–474MX$4,500–8,540
    Caracas$70–360$70–360
    cheaper by 41%
  • Winter

    average
    Playa del Carmen19–29 °C19–29 °C
    Caracas13–29 °C13–29 °C
  • Precipitation

    per year
    Playa del Carmen1,490 mm1,490 mm
    Caracas912.8 mm912.8 mm
  • Ready-made house

    purchase
    Playa del Carmen≈ $251–391kMX$4.5–7M
    cheaper by 51%
    Caracas$72k – 1.25M$72k – 1.25M

By topic

A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.

Daily life

Playa del Carmen

Who lives here

According to the 2020 census the city has 304,942 residents, the municipality 333,800. 61% of residents were born in another state of Mexico.

OfficialINEGI: 2020 census, results by locality in Quintana Roo (ITER) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Spread by district

A two-bedroom in the Real Ibiza complexes 8–10.5k pesos, in Centro more often 20–21k, in Playacar 23.5–28k, near Mayakoba 19–27.5k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Playa del Carmen · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about daily life in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Nothing yet

Housing

Playa del Carmen

Long-term rent

A two-bedroom by listings: about 20,000 pesos a month. Of 150 offers, 33 are under 15k, 61 are 15 to 25k, 56 are above 25k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Playa del Carmen · checked 29 Sep 2026

Buying an apartment

Two-bedrooms for sale: 286 listings up to 4.5 million pesos, 275 from 4.5 to 7 million, 312 above. On the first page about 40% of prices are in dollars.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for sale in Playa del Carmen · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about housing in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Long-term rent

An apartment with three or more bedrooms by listings: 750-4900 dollars a month, median about 1600. The east is the most expensive: Campo Alegre, La Castellana, El Rosal.

SpecialistRent-A-House: apartments for rent with three or more bedrooms, Distrito Metropolitano (Caracas), pages 1-3 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Buying an apartment

An apartment with three or more bedrooms by listings: from 72k to 1.25 million dollars, median about 170k. Most often 80-200k for 76-155 m².

SpecialistRent-A-House: apartments for sale with three or more bedrooms, Distrito Metropolitano (Caracas), pages 1-2 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in Caracas →

Money and prices

Playa del Carmen

Family budget per month

The INEGI poverty line for cities is 4,905.33 pesos per person, 19,621 a month for a family of four (August 2026). A lower threshold without rent, not a real budget.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Groceries for a family

INEGI basket, August 2026: 1,767 pesos per person excluding meals out, about 7,070 a month for a family of four. This is an average for cities across the country, not the price in Playa.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 1 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Groceries for a family

The Cendas food basket for a family of five cost 727.89 dollars a month in July 2026; pro rata for four, about 580. Plus 13.5 for drinking water.

SpecialistEl Diario: Cendas-FVM, family food basket in July 2026 at 727.89 dollars · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Caracas →

Family and kids

Playa del Carmen

Private schools

Two schools in Playa: IPC La Salle 4,500–6,450 pesos a month (2026–2027), Colegio Inglés up to 8,540 (2025–2026). Entry fee 5,700–8,990 once a year.

OfficialIPC La Salle, Playa del Carmen: home page, tuition questions · checked 30 Sep 2026

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Caracas

Private schools: fees

Private schools in Caracas charge 70-360 dollars a month for 2026-2027, plus an enrolment fee of 225-1560 dollars. Payment in bolivars at the BCV rate is accepted.

SpecialistEl Diario: private schools of Greater Caracas, fees for the 2026-2027 school year · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about family and kids in Caracas →

Healthcare

Playa del Carmen

Healthcare on the spot

Private Hospiten Riviera Maya: 23 beds, 2 intensive care, 24-hour emergency, with paediatrics. Hospiten in Cancún has 34 beds and 10 intensive care.

SpecialistHospiten Riviera Maya: hospital page, capacity and departments · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about healthcare in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Nothing yet

Transport

Playa del Carmen

Roads and the airport

To Cancún airport it is about 58 km by road, calculated at 48 minutes without traffic. To the new Tulum airport, 105 km, about an hour and a half.

SpecialistOSRM using OpenStreetMap maps: route from Fundadores park to Cancún airport · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about transport in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Maiquetía airport

After the earthquakes, Maiquetía airport resumed commercial flights on 1 September 2026, but with limited capacity. To the city, use only a pre-booked taxi.

OfficialUK Foreign Office: Venezuela travel advice, Warnings and insurance (updated 2 September 2026) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in Caracas →

Climate

Playa del Carmen

Winter

The coolest month is January: on average from 19.4 to 28.6 degrees at the Cozumel station across from the city. No cold in the usual sense.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Cozumel · checked 29 Sep 2026

Summer and heat

August is the hottest month: average maximum 33 degrees, about 23.5 at night (Cozumel station). From May to August 32–33 degrees in the day.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Cozumel · checked 29 Sep 2026

Rainfall and seasonality

About 1,490 mm a year. Dry from February to April (32–60 mm a month), rains from June to October, peaking in September and October at 240 mm each.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Cozumel · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about climate in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Precipitation and seasons

About 910 mm a year. Dry from January to March (11-15 mm a month); the rainy season runs from May to October, with 80-135 mm a month and 13-19 rainy days.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Caracas · checked 6 Oct 2026

Winter climate

There is no winter as a season. The coolest month is January: about 13 degrees at night, 29 by day. All year round 28-32 degrees by day, 13-18 at night.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Caracas · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in Caracas →

Nature

Playa del Carmen

Sargassum on the beaches

In August 2026 there were about 1.7 million tonnes of seaweed in the western Caribbean, more than in 75% of years since 2011. A decline is expected by November.

SpecialistUSF: sargassum bulletin for the Caribbean Sea, August 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about nature in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Nothing yet

Safety

Playa del Carmen

Hurricanes

Four hurricanes made landfall near the city: Delta and Zeta (October 2020), Grace (August 2021), Beryl (July 2024). Delta was category 2, the rest category 1.

OfficialNHC: Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Beryl (AL022024) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Homicides by the statistics

In 2024 the Solidaridad municipality had 84 homicides, about 25 per 100k residents. In Cancún 39 per 100k, for the state 35.

OfficialINEGI: open data on registered deaths for 2024 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about safety in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Earthquakes of 24 June

On 24 June 2026 two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 badly damaged La Guaira and parts of Caracas. The risk of further tremors remains.

OfficialUK Foreign Office: Venezuela travel advice, Safety and security · checked 6 Oct 2026

Crime and districts

The Russian Foreign Ministry names Catia, Petare, Antímano, La Vega, Caricuao, El Paraíso and 23 de Enero as especially dangerous. Evening walks are risky almost everywhere.

OfficialRussian Foreign Ministry Consular Department: information about Venezuela (transport, crime) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in Caracas →

Internet and phone

Playa del Carmen

Internet per month

Fiber of 50–200 Mbps costs 300–725 pesos a month. Telmex, izzi, Megacable and Totalplay are 349–390, often a promotional price. Data from a comparison site, September 2026.

SpecialistSelectra México: internet in Playa del Carmen, providers and plans, September 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Internet

Median fixed internet speed in Venezuela is 127 Mbit/s, mobile 28 (Speedtest, August 2026). CANTV sells fibre up to 1 Gbit/s. When power goes, so does connectivity.

SpecialistSpeedtest Global Index: Venezuela, median speeds, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Caracas →

Services

Playa del Carmen

LP gas: price cap

Price cap for liquefied LP gas (CNE) in Solidaridad for 27.09–3.10.2026: 21.62 pesos per kg, 11.67 per litre. A 20 kg cylinder at the cap is about 432 pesos.

OfficialComisión Nacional de Energía: maximum LP gas prices from 27 September to 3 October 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

CFE electricity on the coast

Tariff for hot regions 1B or 1C: 1.136 pesos per kWh in the base block, 1.381 in the intermediate, above that 4.041. For 300 kWh outside summer about 820–870 pesos with VAT.

SpecialistAiregula Solutions: CFE tariffs for September 2026, residential 1 and 1A-1F · checked 30 Sep 2026

Water and sewerage: Aguakan

Water is supplied by Aguakan. The minimum, per the press, is about 203 pesos a month, up to 298 with sewerage (figures for the state). We did not find the price per cubic metre above the minimum.

SpecialistEl Punto Sobre la i: reform of Quintana Roo's Ley de Cuotas y Tarifas de Agua Potable, minimum payment · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about services in Playa del Carmen →

Caracas

Power and water: outages

Outages are the main problem: the country is short of up to 4000 MW, and in half of it power is cut for 4-12 hours a day. Tap water is not drunk; drinking water costs 13.5 dollars.

SpecialistCrónica Uno: the 14,000-megawatt gap, Venezuela's electricity deficit, 3 October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about services in Caracas →

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