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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,506 in Ettelbruck versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,729 in Ettelbruck versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,953 in Ettelbruck versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ettelbruck is roughly 19% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ettelbruck is 10% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.99 €24.39

$11.60 MX$199

141.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €91.5

$47.11 MX$809

122.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 €12.95

$11.88 MX$204

25.08%

Cappuccino

$4.66 €4.06

$3.98 MX$68.2

17.09%

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

$4.15 €3.61

$1.43 MX$24.49

190.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.92

$0.82 MX$14.16

448.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 €7.19

$3.19 MX$54.7

158.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 €6.08

$6.79 MX$117

2.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.68 MX$28.76

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.20 MX$37.71

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.68

$1.71 MX$29.32

80.12%

Eggs

$4.79 €4.17

$2.74 MX$47.05

74.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 €16.68

$9.58 MX$164

99.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.78 €12.88

$9.01 MX$155

64.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.88 €23.42

$12.81 MX$220

109.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.01

$2.89 MX$49.58

19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.07

$1.50 MX$25.70

58.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.84

$2.15 MX$36.87

51.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 €4.06

$2.26 MX$38.79

105.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.23

$1.98 MX$34.00

29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.99 MX$34.15

13.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.23 MX$21.18

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.20 MX$20.54

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.90 €6.88

$4.55 MX$78.1

73.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 €10.21

$10.37 MX$178

13.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.62 MX$27.79

32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.34

$2.88 MX$49.44

-6.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 €4.41

$5.39 MX$92.5

-6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.94 €3.44

$3.73 MX$64.0

5.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.8 €50.4

$5.77 MX$99.0

902.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.54 MX$26.37

24.68%

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

$31.7K €27.6K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

40.47%

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

$34.2K €29.8K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

31.23%

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

$317 €277

$91.4 MX$1,569

247.43%

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

$27.90 €24.31

$25.20 MX$433

10.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 €52.3

$31.24 MX$536

92.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 €19.89

$29.11 MX$500

-21.57%

Cinema Ticket

$19.72 €17.18

$4.86 MX$83.5

305.76%

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

$1,397 €1,217

$224 MX$3,839

524.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K €16.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

346.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €97.6

$47.10 MX$808

137.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €45.77

$44.29 MX$760

18.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €100

$80.1 MX$1,375

43.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €121

$92.7 MX$1,591

49.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,128 €2,725

$2,149 MX$36.9K

45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 €2,324

$1,272 MX$21.8K

109.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,605 €7,496

$4,001 MX$68.7K

115.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,576 €6,601

$6,502 MX$111.6K

16.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,440 €3,868

$758 MX$13.0K

485.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-82.53%

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

Last update for Ettelbruck: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Ettelbruck pays 486% 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: $105 in Ettelbruck vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $276 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 486% higher in Ettelbruck, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Ettelbruck. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,506 per month in Ettelbruck versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,506 in Ettelbruck, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ettelbruck. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ettelbruck, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ettelbruck 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 19% less than in Ettelbruck. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.