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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,412 in Enschede versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,738 in Enschede versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,064 in Enschede versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Enschede is roughly 86% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Enschede is 76% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.68 €18.66

$11.71 MX$198

85.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 €69.8

$46.59 MX$787

74.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.36 €14.08

$11.65 MX$197

40.43%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.72

$4.09 MX$69.2

5.62%

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

$3.68 €3.17

$1.37 MX$23.23

168.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.59

$0.83 MX$14.09

262.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.54 €5.63

$3.35 MX$56.7

95.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 €5.91

$6.91 MX$117

-0.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.73 MX$29.19

-19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.26 MX$38.20

11.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.77 MX$29.90

62.71%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.07

$2.73 MX$46.18

73.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 €12.18

$9.18 MX$155

54.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.27 €13.14

$8.92 MX$151

71.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 €13.16

$12.60 MX$213

21.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.52

$3.02 MX$51.1

-2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.57 MX$26.54

46.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.13 MX$35.92

11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 €4.37

$2.26 MX$38.27

124.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.00 MX$33.87

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.06 MX$34.89

1.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.18 MX$19.94

5.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.63

$1.20 MX$20.35

-38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.25 €12.26

$4.63 MX$78.3

207.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 €6.14

$10.69 MX$181

-33.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.62 MX$27.37

-4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.88 MX$48.69

5.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.67

$0.57 MX$9.69

445.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €100

$29.83 MX$504

290.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 €3.31

$5.45 MX$92.1

-29.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 €2.33

$3.70 MX$62.6

-26.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.18 €24.25

$5.98 MX$101

371.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.44 €2.10

$1.55 MX$26.25

57.42%

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

$43.8K €37.7K

$22.3K MX$377.3K

96.24%

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

$40.9K €35.2K

$25.9K MX$438.5K

57.57%

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

$277 €238

$89.1 MX$1,506

210.52%

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

$22.65 €19.49

$25.04 MX$423

-9.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.12 €39.69

$31.50 MX$532

46.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.51 €29.70

$67.8 MX$1,145

-49.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.14 €20.77

$28.92 MX$489

-16.53%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 €17.20

$5.05 MX$85.3

295.84%

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

$1,274 €1,096

$225 MX$3,802

466.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,258 €7,106

$4,222 MX$71.4K

95.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.9 €84.3

$47.44 MX$802

106.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 €33.32

$44.98 MX$760

-13.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 €82.9

$82.0 MX$1,386

17.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €90.5

$92.1 MX$1,556

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,169

$1,069 MX$18.1K

27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 €908

$405 MX$6,850

160.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,581 €2,221

$1,935 MX$32.7K

33.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,772

$1,301 MX$22.0K

58.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,773 €4,107

$3,995 MX$67.5K

19.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,313 €2,851

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-50.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,978 €2,563

$749 MX$12.7K

297.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

11.45

-59.83%

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

Last update for Enschede: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,358 in Enschede and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Enschede pays 298% 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: $81.0 in Enschede vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $277 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

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

Enschede and Playa del Carmen differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($2,412 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 298% higher in Enschede, 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: $1,358 in Enschede versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,412 per month in Enschede versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 290% less than in Enschede. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,412 in Enschede, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Enschede. 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, Enschede 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 86% less than in Enschede. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.