Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasschaat and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,145 in Brasschaat, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brasschaat, Belgium
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Brasschaat
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,145
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,145 per month in Brasschaat vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Brasschaat $2,145
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,173 per month in Brasschaat vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Brasschaat $3,173
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,201 per month in Brasschaat vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Brasschaat $4,201
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Brasschaat costs about 78% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Brasschaat sits 58% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.01 €19.64
$10.92 MX$205
101.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$95.6 €85.3
$43.37 MX$813
120.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.47 €13.80
$11.78 MX$221
31.32%
Cappuccino
$4.33 €3.87
$3.81 MX$71.4
13.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 €3.13
$1.28 MX$24.03
173.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 €3.02
$0.78 MX$14.67
333.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.33 €4.75
$3.17 MX$59.3
68.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.21 €5.54
$4.93 MX$92.5
25.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.41 MX$26.35
-5.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 €2.47
$2.22 MX$41.54
24.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.42 MX$26.56
52.82%
Eggs
$3.88 €3.46
$2.52 MX$47.27
53.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.34 €14.57
$7.26 MX$136
125.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.18 €10.86
$7.70 MX$144
58.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.51 €17.41
$12.69 MX$238
53.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 €2.50
$2.78 MX$52.2
0.72%
Banana (1kg)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.37 MX$25.64
73.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$2.55 MX$47.80
5.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.41 €3.05
$2.12 MX$39.78
60.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 €2.26
$1.94 MX$36.32
30.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.89 MX$35.34
-1.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.15 MX$21.49
33.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.18 MX$22.09
-4.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.86 €11.47
$4.30 MX$80.5
199.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.65 €7.72
$9.95 MX$186
-13.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.58 MX$29.67
25.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.79
$2.67 MX$50.1
-24.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.16 €2.82
$0.55 MX$10.37
474.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.5 €49.51
$26.62 MX$499
108.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 €4.84
$4.97 MX$93.1
9.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.62 €2.34
$3.33 MX$62.4
-21.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.88 €40.04
$5.36 MX$100
737.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 €1.88
$1.44 MX$27.06
45.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K €31.8K
$20.7K MX$387.3K
72.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €32.8K
$23.5K MX$439.7K
56.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 €199
$84.8 MX$1,589
162.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.85 €18.60
$23.41 MX$439
-10.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.35 €43.14
$28.66 MX$537
68.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.06 €32.17
$57.1 MX$1,069
-36.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.45 €19.14
$28.91 MX$542
-25.80%
Cinema Ticket
$15.74 €14.04
$5.14 MX$96.3
206.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$563 €502
$207 MX$3,871
172.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.7K €19.4K
$3,927 MX$73.6K
452.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.5
$43.35 MX$812
149.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.76 €42.61
$41.44 MX$777
15.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €94.0
$74.2 MX$1,390
41.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 €131
$89.3 MX$1,672
64.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$929 €829
$980 MX$18.4K
-5.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$822 €733
$381 MX$7,136
115.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,396 €1,245
$1,708 MX$32.0K
-18.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,153 €1,028
$1,075 MX$20.1K
7.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,646 €3,253
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-7.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,702 €2,411
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-56.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brasschaat
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,930 €2,614
$735 MX$13.8K
298.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.2
11.45
-72.05%

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

Last update for Brasschaat: October 26, 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
Brasschaat
$822
Playa del Carmen
$381 53.7% $441
Groceries & Markets
Brasschaat
$352
Playa del Carmen
$255 27.6% $97
Eating Out
Brasschaat
$341
Playa del Carmen
$202 40.7% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasschaat
$292
Playa del Carmen
$137 53.2% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Brasschaat
$184
Playa del Carmen
$112 39.2% $72
Getting Around
Brasschaat
$87
Playa del Carmen
$50 41.8% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Brasschaat
$68
Playa del Carmen
$67 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $929 in Brasschaat 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 Brasschaat are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Brasschaat versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Brasschaat
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
22:16 10:16 PM
16:16 4:16 PM
6 h behind Brasschaat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,190
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brasschaat Playa del Carmen 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brasschaat
  • 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
Brasschaat vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brasschaat or Playa del Carmen?
Brasschaat costs about 78% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brasschaat and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,217 per month in Brasschaat and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Brasschaat compared to Playa del Carmen?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $929 in Brasschaat and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How much does it cost to live in Brasschaat compared to Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,145 in Brasschaat and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 44% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Brasschaat compared to Playa del Carmen?
Public transport costs about 52% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Brasschaat or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Brasschaat at $2,145. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brasschaat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brasschaat or Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,145 in Brasschaat. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Brasschaat or to Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brasschaat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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