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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,511 in Brussels versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Brussels versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,120 in Brussels versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Brussels is roughly 94% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brussels is 87% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.39 €24.44

$11.73 MX$203

142.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 €79.8

$41.62 MX$719

122.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 €13.17

$10.64 MX$184

43.80%

Cappuccino

$4.84 €4.16

$3.52 MX$60.8

37.50%

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

$3.11 €2.68

$1.51 MX$26.09

105.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.97 MX$16.82

207.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 €6.13

$2.95 MX$51.0

141.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$4.45 MX$77.0

31.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.38 MX$23.90

12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.89 MX$32.69

59.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.64 MX$28.29

70.73%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.21

$2.51 MX$43.30

94.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 €14.27

$8.34 MX$144

98.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 €11.61

$8.34 MX$144

61.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.29

$10.73 MX$185

76.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$2.60 MX$45.00

13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.46 MX$25.18

73.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.90 MX$32.84

45.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.08 MX$35.88

50.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.22

$1.78 MX$30.68

44.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.19 MX$37.76

12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.04 MX$17.97

65.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.08 MX$18.60

7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.57 €10.82

$4.08 MX$70.5

208.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.47 €8.16

$10.32 MX$178

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.71 MX$29.59

46.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.58 MX$44.50

25.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$0.51 MX$8.81

450.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 €52.2

$26.46 MX$457

128.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 €6.53

$3.26 MX$56.4

132.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.49 MX$43.05

-6.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.30 €29.53

$3.25 MX$56.1

955.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.31 MX$22.59

41.22%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

12.54%

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

$35.4K €30.5K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

51.26%

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

$262 €226

$82.9 MX$1,432

216.70%

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

$21.44 €18.46

$22.22 MX$384

-3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 €48.37

$29.34 MX$507

91.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.19 €35.46

$51.6 MX$892

-20.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.33 €26.98

$18.32 MX$317

71.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 €13.12

$5.07 MX$87.5

200.59%

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

$1,117 €962

$201 MX$3,470

456.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K €19.6K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

337.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €92.5

$36.92 MX$638

191.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.48 €41.73

$39.79 MX$688

21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €100

$78.5 MX$1,356

48.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €129

$87.1 MX$1,505

72.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,135

$973 MX$16.8K

35.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €918

$468 MX$8,082

127.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 €1,996

$1,641 MX$28.4K

41.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 €1,553

$1,221 MX$21.1K

47.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,112 €4,401

$3,946 MX$68.2K

29.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,902 €3,360

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-39.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,338 €2,874

$664 MX$11.5K

402.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

11.42

-68.04%

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

Last update for Brussels: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 403% 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: $93.0 in Brussels vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $249 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Brussels pays 403% 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: $1,318 in Brussels versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $93.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,511 in Brussels, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brussels 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 94% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.