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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,226 in Aalst versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,176 in Aalst versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,127 in Aalst versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Aalst is roughly 73% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aalst is 66% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.83 €19.54

$11.94 MX$209

91.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €87.9

$42.75 MX$748

140.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.64 €10.82

$10.59 MX$185

19.36%

Cappuccino

$4.19 €3.59

$3.62 MX$63.4

15.75%

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

$3.49 €2.98

$1.47 MX$25.69

137.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.59

$0.94 MX$16.51

221.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 €4.78

$3.09 MX$54.1

80.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.88

$4.46 MX$78.0

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.43 MX$24.94

-4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 €2.47

$1.88 MX$32.97

53.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.27

$1.63 MX$28.50

63.19%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.43

$2.64 MX$46.26

51.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 €13.96

$8.21 MX$144

98.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 €9.95

$8.29 MX$145

40.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.89 €16.17

$11.10 MX$194

70.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.47

$2.65 MX$46.40

9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$1.50 MX$26.26

64.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.00

$1.99 MX$34.79

17.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.82

$2.08 MX$36.33

58.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.32

$1.79 MX$31.29

51.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 €2.07

$2.18 MX$38.09

11.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.08 MX$18.84

35.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.71

$1.04 MX$18.15

-20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.53 €10.73

$3.97 MX$69.5

215.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 €7.87

$10.20 MX$179

-9.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.73 MX$30.22

-2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.50 MX$43.71

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.49

$0.52 MX$9.07

459.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.0 €48.81

$26.97 MX$472

111.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.02

$3.14 MX$55.0

86.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.02

$2.40 MX$42.04

-1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 €30.13

$3.09 MX$54.0

1039.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.27 MX$22.28

50.39%

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

$35.0K €29.9K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

13.29%

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

$33.0K €28.3K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

41.57%

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

$203 €173

$82.0 MX$1,435

146.95%

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

$21.25 €18.19

$22.45 MX$393

-5.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €49.29

$29.66 MX$519

94.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.95 €32.49

$51.9 MX$908

-26.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.83 €14.41

$18.67 MX$327

-9.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 €12.98

$4.97 MX$87.0

205.03%

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

$625 €535

$198 MX$3,462

216.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.4K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

153.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €91.8

$36.34 MX$636

195.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.73 €41.71

$40.05 MX$701

21.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €97.5

$79.9 MX$1,398

42.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €133

$88.9 MX$1,555

74.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 €846

$963 MX$16.9K

2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 €767

$465 MX$8,133

92.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 €1,175

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-13.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €926

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-10.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,270 €2,799

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-17.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,066 €2,624

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-52.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,764 €2,366

$720 MX$12.6K

283.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

11.42

-71.37%

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

Last update for Aalst: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $989 in Aalst and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalst pays 284% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $103 in Aalst vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Aalst and Playa del Carmen differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($2,226 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Aalst pays 284% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $989 in Aalst versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $103 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,226 per month in Aalst versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,226 in Aalst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Aalst. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aalst and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Aalst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.