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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,193 in Antwerp versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Antwerp versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,623 in Antwerp versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 68% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antwerp is 59% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.56 €20.31

$11.96 MX$203

96.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 €94.4

$47.38 MX$804

131.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.11 €12.16

$11.75 MX$199

20.09%

Cappuccino

$4.44 €3.83

$4.12 MX$70.0

7.77%

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

$3.66 €3.15

$1.40 MX$23.74

161.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.13

$0.91 MX$15.48

298.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.78

$3.21 MX$54.4

72.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 €5.38

$7.07 MX$120

-11.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.68 MX$28.44

-15.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.15 MX$36.48

29.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.77 MX$30.10

26.55%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.31

$2.82 MX$47.76

36.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.00 €15.52

$9.20 MX$156

95.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.17 €10.49

$9.23 MX$157

31.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.94 €20.64

$12.64 MX$214

89.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 €2.68

$2.95 MX$50.1

5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.58 MX$26.79

55.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.22 MX$37.70

26.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$2.36 MX$40.09

44.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.22

$1.99 MX$33.81

29.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.98 MX$33.58

2.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.24 MX$21.04

29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.21 MX$20.55

-12.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 €11.59

$4.60 MX$78.1

192.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 €8.15

$10.52 MX$178

-10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.69 MX$28.70

4.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.77 MX$47.06

-23.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 €3.09

$0.60 MX$10.22

498.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 €50.1

$29.70 MX$504

95.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.87

$5.24 MX$88.8

7.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 €2.36

$3.65 MX$61.9

-24.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.36 €39.96

$5.78 MX$98.1

702.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.54 MX$26.09

37.01%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

59.56%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

35.55%

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

$215 €185

$90.7 MX$1,538

136.64%

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

$22.67 €19.54

$25.19 MX$427

-10.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 €43.21

$31.75 MX$539

57.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.45 €33.14

$68.8 MX$1,167

-44.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.42 €23.63

$29.37 MX$498

-6.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.90 €13.70

$4.86 MX$82.5

227.16%

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

$1,652 €1,424

$226 MX$3,828

632.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K €30.3K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

738.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 €101

$47.38 MX$804

146.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 €46.22

$43.45 MX$737

23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.5

$80.2 MX$1,361

32.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 €150

$91.4 MX$1,550

91.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 €941

$1,086 MX$18.4K

0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 €751

$409 MX$6,933

113.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 €1,487

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-12.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 €1,225

$1,281 MX$21.7K

10.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,549 €3,922

$4,046 MX$68.6K

12.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,234 €2,787

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-51.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,147 €2,713

$773 MX$13.1K

306.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

11.45

-69.78%

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

Last update for Antwerp: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,092 in Antwerp and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 307% 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: $109 in Antwerp vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $278 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

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

Antwerp and Playa del Carmen differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,193 vs $1,305 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 307% higher in Antwerp, 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: $1,092 in Antwerp versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 96% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Antwerp versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,193 in Antwerp, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. 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, Antwerp 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 68% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.