Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
58

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

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,517

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,517 per month in Amsterdam vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,517
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,063 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Amsterdam $5,063
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $6,608 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,608
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Amsterdam costs about 192% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Amsterdam sits 158% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.34 €20.07

$10.92 MX$204

104.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €79.6

$43.37 MX$808

104.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 €13.29

$11.78 MX$220

25.64%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.18

$3.81 MX$71.0

22.05%

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

$3.69 €3.32

$1.28 MX$23.90

188.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$0.78 MX$14.59

271.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €7.12

$3.17 MX$59.0

149.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.87

$4.93 MX$92.0

32.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.41 MX$26.22

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.22 MX$41.33

8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.25

$1.42 MX$26.42

76.06%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.63

$2.52 MX$47.03

104.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.90 €15.18

$7.26 MX$135

132.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.44

$7.70 MX$143

65.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.55

$12.69 MX$237

80.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$2.78 MX$51.9

-1.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$1.37 MX$25.50

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.55 MX$47.55

7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.47

$2.12 MX$39.58

82.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.94 MX$36.13

29.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.89 MX$35.16

-12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.15 MX$21.37

31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.52

$1.18 MX$21.98

43.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €13.04

$4.30 MX$80.1

237.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 €7.73

$9.95 MX$185

-13.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.58 MX$29.52

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.67 MX$49.79

-5.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.70 €3.32

$0.55 MX$10.31

572.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €105

$26.62 MX$496

337.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.21

$4.97 MX$92.6

-5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 €3.08

$3.33 MX$62.1

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €35.04

$5.36 MX$99.8

627.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 €2.30

$1.44 MX$26.92

77.78%

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

$40.6K €36.5K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

96.40%

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

$38.9K €34.9K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

65.72%

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

$306 €275

$84.8 MX$1,581

261.40%

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

$22.66 €20.35

$23.41 MX$436

-3.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €47.45

$28.66 MX$534

84.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €49.37

$57.1 MX$1,063

-3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 €32.04

$28.91 MX$539

23.35%

Cinema Ticket

$16.48 €14.81

$5.14 MX$95.8

220.62%

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

$2,778 €2,495

$207 MX$3,851

1244.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

331.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €83.3

$43.35 MX$808

113.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €37.08

$41.44 MX$772

-0.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €91.1

$74.2 MX$1,383

36.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$89.3 MX$1,664

50.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,642 €2,373

$980 MX$18.3K

169.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 €1,787

$381 MX$7,099

422.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,165 €3,741

$1,708 MX$31.8K

143.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 €2,920

$1,075 MX$20.0K

202.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K €9,480

$3,943 MX$73.5K

167.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,734 €6,049

$6,158 MX$114.8K

9.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,625 €4,155

$735 MX$13.7K

529.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

11.45

-71.18%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: 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

Amsterdam

$2K 56.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 80.9% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$382 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 64.2% $245

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$381 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 33.1% $126

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$358 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 43.5% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$166 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 32.8% $55

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$153 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 67.1% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$88 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 23.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,642 in Amsterdam versus $980 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 in Amsterdam are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Amsterdam versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

6 h behind Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Amsterdam Playa del Carmen 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Amsterdam
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

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

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 192%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,276 per month in Amsterdam and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.

Public transport costs about 77% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,778 per month in Amsterdam and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.