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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,621 per month in Apeldoorn vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,795 per month in Apeldoorn vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,969 per month in Apeldoorn vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Apeldoorn costs about 103% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Apeldoorn sits 91% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.29 €19.18

$11.71 MX$198

90.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €73.4

$46.59 MX$786

83.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.99 €12.03

$11.65 MX$197

20.09%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.03

$4.09 MX$69.1

14.43%

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

$3.69 €3.18

$1.37 MX$23.20

169.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.05

$0.83 MX$14.07

327.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.04

$3.35 MX$56.6

109.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.86

$6.91 MX$117

-18.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.73 MX$29.15

-17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.06

$2.26 MX$38.15

5.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$1.77 MX$29.86

83.05%

Eggs

$5.34 €4.59

$2.73 MX$46.12

95.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.23 €12.25

$9.18 MX$155

55.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 €13.09

$8.92 MX$151

70.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 €15.43

$12.60 MX$213

42.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.02 MX$51.0

-6.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.57 MX$26.51

66.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.13 MX$35.88

2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 €3.82

$2.26 MX$38.22

96.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.00 MX$33.82

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.06 MX$34.85

14.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.18 MX$19.91

10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.74

$1.20 MX$20.32

-27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.64 €12.60

$4.63 MX$78.2

216.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 €6.37

$10.69 MX$180

-30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.62 MX$27.33

-9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.88 MX$48.63

-9.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 €3.67

$0.57 MX$9.68

649.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.9 €61.0

$29.83 MX$503

137.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 €7.48

$5.45 MX$91.9

59.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 €1.70

$3.70 MX$62.5

-46.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.59 €20.30

$5.98 MX$101

294.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.55 MX$26.22

56.13%

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

$42.5K €36.6K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

90.32%

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

$40.8K €35.1K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

57.17%

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

$321 €277

$89.1 MX$1,504

260.66%

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

$28.26 €24.32

$25.04 MX$423

12.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 €47.29

$31.50 MX$532

74.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.42 €29.62

$67.8 MX$1,144

-49.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.58 €35.78

$28.92 MX$488

43.78%

Cinema Ticket

$16.59 €14.28

$5.05 MX$85.2

228.51%

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

$1,296 €1,115

$225 MX$3,797

475.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,290 €5,413

$4,222 MX$71.3K

48.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 €68.6

$47.44 MX$801

68.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.21 €34.60

$44.98 MX$759

-10.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €78.7

$82.0 MX$1,384

11.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.5

$92.1 MX$1,555

15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 €860

$1,069 MX$18.0K

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,056

$405 MX$6,842

202.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-17.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 €1,514

$1,301 MX$22.0K

35.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,649 €4,001

$3,995 MX$67.4K

16.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,788 €3,260

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-42.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,304 €2,843

$749 MX$12.6K

341.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

11.45

-65.50%

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

Last update for Apeldoorn: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Apeldoorn versus $1,069 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 341% higher in Apeldoorn, 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 $85.0 in Apeldoorn versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $277 – 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

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

Yes – Apeldoorn is pricier by about 103%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,932 per month in Apeldoorn and $1,940 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 $85.0 in Apeldoorn and $47.00 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 $2,621 in Apeldoorn and $1,293 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 $1,293, than in Apeldoorn at $2,621. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Apeldoorn 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.

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, Apeldoorn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.