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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,019 in Diest versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,098 in Diest versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,176 in Diest versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Diest is roughly 60% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Diest is 52% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.28 €20.16

$11.72 MX$203

98.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €79.2

$41.89 MX$725

118.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 €10.42

$10.51 MX$182

14.46%

Cappuccino

$3.57 €3.09

$3.59 MX$62.0

-0.56%

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

$3.44 €2.98

$1.51 MX$26.10

127.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.70

$0.92 MX$15.83

239.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 €4.69

$2.96 MX$51.2

83.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.95

$4.41 MX$76.3

3.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.40 MX$24.16

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 €2.51

$1.88 MX$32.60

53.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.56 MX$26.97

57.69%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.45

$2.61 MX$45.14

52.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.59 €15.23

$8.32 MX$144

111.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 €9.78

$8.35 MX$145

35.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.24 €18.40

$10.86 MX$188

95.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$2.71 MX$46.93

-2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.51 MX$26.04

62.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €1.99

$1.87 MX$32.41

22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.45

$2.19 MX$37.89

29.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.86 MX$32.14

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$2.23 MX$38.59

-5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.07 MX$18.48

31.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.09 MX$18.79

-13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 €10.94

$4.19 MX$72.4

201.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 €7.38

$10.43 MX$180

-18.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.66 MX$28.68

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.61 MX$45.19

-26.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 €2.54

$0.54 MX$9.37

442.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 €49.88

$26.16 MX$453

120.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.09

$3.08 MX$53.3

90.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 €2.10

$2.40 MX$41.61

1.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.85 €32.78

$3.13 MX$54.1

1109.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.31 MX$22.69

40.46%

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

$33.0K €28.6K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

10.81%

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

$31.2K €27.0K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

33.77%

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

$201 €174

$81.3 MX$1,406

147.64%

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

$25.46 €22.05

$22.56 MX$390

12.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €45.01

$30.05 MX$520

72.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.03 €32.93

$52.9 MX$915

-28.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.65 €14.42

$18.39 MX$318

-9.46%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.28

$4.92 MX$85.1

211.59%

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

$624 €540

$201 MX$3,474

210.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K €11.5K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

155.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.2

$35.92 MX$622

189.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.07 €41.63

$40.13 MX$694

19.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.8

$79.7 MX$1,379

37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 €139

$86.5 MX$1,496

86.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 €796

$978 MX$16.9K

-5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 €648

$470 MX$8,140

58.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 €1,188

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-16.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 €938

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-9.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 €3,396

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-0.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,007 €2,604

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-54.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,110 €1,827

$677 MX$11.7K

211.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

11.42

-70.05%

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

Last update for Diest: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $920 in Diest and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Diest pays 212% 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: $91.0 in Diest vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $252 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Diest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Diest, 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: $920 in Diest versus $978 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 120% less than in Diest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Diest versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,019 in Diest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Diest. 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 $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Diest 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 60% less than in Diest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.