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: $2,183 in Antwerp versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,416 in Antwerp versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,648 in Antwerp versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 72% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antwerp is 62% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.40 €20.16

$11.87 MX$204

97.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 €104

$42.90 MX$736

181.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.93 €11.14

$10.65 MX$183

21.41%

Cappuccino

$4.07 €3.50

$3.45 MX$59.2

17.97%

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

$3.37 €2.90

$1.50 MX$25.81

124.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.65

$0.95 MX$16.28

223.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 €4.87

$3.03 MX$51.9

86.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.06

$4.61 MX$79.1

2.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.38 MX$23.61

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.85 MX$31.70

49.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.61 MX$27.65

72.05%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$2.59 MX$44.51

58.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.11 €15.60

$8.26 MX$142

119.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 €10.16

$8.37 MX$144

40.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.23 €19.16

$10.66 MX$183

108.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.63 MX$45.12

12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.49 MX$25.53

57.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.92 MX$32.94

22.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 €2.97

$2.09 MX$35.81

64.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 €2.55

$1.86 MX$31.88

58.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.26 MX$38.81

4.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.06 MX$18.23

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.09 MX$18.67

-23.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.82 €11.04

$4.15 MX$71.2

208.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 €7.94

$10.39 MX$178

-11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.72 MX$29.59

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.61 MX$44.85

-25.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.47

$0.54 MX$9.30

431.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.36 €39.08

$26.94 MX$462

68.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.06

$3.13 MX$53.7

87.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.51 MX$43.09

-1.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.03 €39.66

$3.15 MX$54.1

1361.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.27 MX$21.88

45.67%

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

$36.3K €31.2K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

19.37%

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

$32.5K €28.0K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

37.71%

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

$207 €179

$83.0 MX$1,425

149.84%

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

$25.43 €21.91

$22.71 MX$390

11.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €44.85

$29.46 MX$506

76.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.60 €39.29

$51.0 MX$875

-10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 €21.94

$18.33 MX$315

38.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 €12.75

$4.93 MX$84.5

200.20%

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

$660 €569

$197 MX$3,386

234.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

154.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €94.8

$36.90 MX$633

198.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.83 €42.94

$39.89 MX$685

24.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$80.0 MX$1,373

47.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 €201

$89.5 MX$1,536

160.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 €899

$956 MX$16.4K

9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €740

$477 MX$8,189

80.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,362

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-3.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 €1,091

$1,225 MX$21.0K

3.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 €3,923

$3,918 MX$67.2K

16.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,134 €2,700

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-51.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,092 €2,664

$667 MX$11.4K

363.60%

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 Antwerp: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,043 in Antwerp and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 364% 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: $121 in Antwerp vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $250 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 72% in total monthly costs ($2,183 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Antwerp pays 364% 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: $1,043 in Antwerp versus $956 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 68% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $660 in Antwerp versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,183 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 72% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.