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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Groningen versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,495 in Groningen versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,702 in Groningen versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Groningen is roughly 77% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Groningen is 66% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.20 €18.23

$11.71 MX$198

81.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 €85.7

$46.59 MX$788

114.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.22 €13.95

$11.65 MX$197

39.23%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €3.94

$4.09 MX$69.2

11.98%

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

$3.90 €3.36

$1.37 MX$23.23

184.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.84

$0.83 MX$14.09

297.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.10

$3.35 MX$56.7

77.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.88

$6.91 MX$117

-17.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.73 MX$29.20

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.35

$2.26 MX$38.21

20.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.77 MX$29.91

61.02%

Eggs

$4.69 €4.03

$2.73 MX$46.19

71.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 €11.78

$9.18 MX$155

49.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.50 €11.61

$8.92 MX$151

51.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.24 €19.12

$12.60 MX$213

76.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.66

$3.02 MX$51.1

2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.57 MX$26.55

61.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$2.13 MX$35.93

24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 €4.32

$2.26 MX$38.28

122.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.00 MX$33.88

14.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.06 MX$34.90

-21.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.18 MX$19.94

11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.20 MX$20.35

5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.94

$4.63 MX$78.4

225.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €5.90

$10.69 MX$181

-35.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.62 MX$27.38

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.17

$2.88 MX$48.70

-12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 €3.67

$0.57 MX$9.69

649.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €59.6

$29.83 MX$504

132.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 €5.88

$5.45 MX$92.1

25.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.70 MX$62.6

-22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.82 €25.63

$5.98 MX$101

398.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.57 €2.21

$1.55 MX$26.26

65.81%

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

$43.5K €37.4K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

94.98%

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

$40.3K €34.6K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

55.19%

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

$234 €201

$89.1 MX$1,507

162.01%

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

$21.65 €18.61

$25.04 MX$423

-13.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €43.92

$31.50 MX$532

62.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 €34.62

$67.8 MX$1,146

-40.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.72 €13.52

$28.92 MX$489

-45.64%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 €15.09

$5.05 MX$85.4

247.72%

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

$1,818 €1,563

$225 MX$3,803

707.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,840 €6,740

$4,222 MX$71.4K

85.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.4

$47.44 MX$802

114.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.18 €39.70

$44.98 MX$760

2.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.8

$82.0 MX$1,386

33.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €124

$92.1 MX$1,557

56.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 €1,176

$1,069 MX$18.1K

27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 €789

$405 MX$6,852

126.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 €1,684

$1,935 MX$32.7K

1.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,245

$1,301 MX$22.0K

11.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,591 €4,807

$3,995 MX$67.5K

39.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,027 €3,462

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-39.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,132 €2,692

$749 MX$12.7K

318.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

11.45

-68.38%

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

Last update for Groningen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,368 in Groningen and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 318% 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: $100 in Groningen vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Groningen. 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 318% higher in Groningen, 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: $1,368 in Groningen versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Groningen. 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 $47.00 versus $100 in Groningen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,288 in Groningen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Groningen. 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 $1,293 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Groningen 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 77% less than in Groningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.