Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,944 per month in Aachen vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,051 per month in Aachen vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,159 per month in Aachen vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aachen costs about 54% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Aachen sits 46% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 €13.97

$11.72 MX$204

36.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €71.9

$41.89 MX$731

96.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 €10.04

$10.51 MX$183

9.51%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.51

$3.59 MX$62.5

11.98%

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

$3.26 €2.85

$1.51 MX$26.31

115.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.61

$0.92 MX$15.96

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 €4.43

$2.96 MX$51.6

71.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.97

$4.41 MX$76.9

3.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.40 MX$24.35

-13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.88 MX$32.87

16.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 €3.03

$1.56 MX$27.19

122.44%

Eggs

$3.56 €3.10

$2.61 MX$45.50

36.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €12.73

$8.32 MX$145

75.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 €12.14

$8.35 MX$146

66.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 €17.26

$10.86 MX$189

82.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 €2.84

$2.71 MX$47.31

20.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.51 MX$26.25

17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €2.01

$1.87 MX$32.67

22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 €3.94

$2.19 MX$38.19

106.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.86 MX$32.40

-13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.56

$2.23 MX$38.90

-20.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.07 MX$18.63

71.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.81

$1.09 MX$18.94

-14.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 €8.24

$4.19 MX$73.0

125.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 €5.88

$10.43 MX$182

-35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.66 MX$28.91

-36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.61 MX$45.56

-37.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €2.99

$0.54 MX$9.45

535.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 €50.3

$26.16 MX$456

120.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 €4.85

$3.08 MX$53.7

80.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.40 MX$41.94

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.43 €15.19

$3.13 MX$54.5

456.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.31 MX$22.87

59.54%

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

$30.9K €27.0K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

3.75%

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

$38.1K €33.2K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

63.27%

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

$367 €320

$81.3 MX$1,418

352.04%

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

$19.71 €17.19

$22.56 MX$393

-12.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 €45.21

$30.05 MX$524

72.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 €31.22

$52.9 MX$923

-32.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.66 €18.88

$18.39 MX$321

17.78%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 €14.35

$4.92 MX$85.8

234.55%

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

$399 €348

$201 MX$3,502

98.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €19.9K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

341.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €98.9

$35.92 MX$627

215.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.58 €39.73

$40.13 MX$700

13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 €73.7

$79.7 MX$1,390

6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$86.5 MX$1,508

53.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 €701

$978 MX$17.1K

-17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 €512

$470 MX$8,206

24.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 €1,257

$1,651 MX$28.8K

-12.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 €1,047

$1,203 MX$21.0K

-0.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,536 €3,954

$3,953 MX$69.0K

14.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,547 €3,092

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-46.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,503 €3,054

$677 MX$11.8K

417.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

11.42

-65.24%

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

Last update for Aachen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $804 in Aachen versus $978 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 418% higher in Aachen, 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 $82.0 in Aachen versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $252 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Aachen vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,944 in Aachen, $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 54% apart. Aachen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,916 per month in Aachen and $1,890 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Aachen and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,944 in Aachen and $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Aachen at $1,944. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aachen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $1,944 in Aachen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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