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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,064 per month in Hasselt vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,120 per month in Hasselt vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,177 per month in Hasselt vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Hasselt costs about 64% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Hasselt sits 55% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.04 €20.09

$11.72 MX$204

96.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.4 €80.6

$41.89 MX$731

120.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.80 €11.16

$10.51 MX$183

21.79%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.52

$3.59 MX$62.5

12.53%

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

$3.38 €2.95

$1.51 MX$26.31

123.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.77

$0.92 MX$15.96

245.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 €4.59

$2.96 MX$51.6

77.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.95

$4.41 MX$76.9

2.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.40 MX$24.35

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 €2.40

$1.88 MX$32.87

46.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.30

$1.56 MX$27.19

69.23%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.18

$2.61 MX$45.50

39.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.92 €15.62

$8.32 MX$145

115.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 €8.61

$8.35 MX$146

18.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 €19.10

$10.86 MX$189

101.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.97

$2.71 MX$47.31

-16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.97

$1.51 MX$26.25

49.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$1.87 MX$32.67

26.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.19 MX$38.19

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 €2.03

$1.86 MX$32.40

25.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$2.23 MX$38.90

-26.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 €0.85

$1.07 MX$18.63

-9.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.76

$1.09 MX$18.94

-20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.90 €11.24

$4.19 MX$73.0

207.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.94

$10.43 MX$182

-12.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.66 MX$28.91

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.61 MX$45.56

-23.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.56

$0.54 MX$9.45

444.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.06 €29.69

$26.16 MX$456

30.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €4.96

$3.08 MX$53.7

84.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 €2.11

$2.40 MX$41.94

1.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.72 €32.89

$3.13 MX$54.5

1105.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.67

$1.31 MX$22.87

45.80%

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

$36.3K €31.6K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

21.76%

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

$33.3K €29.1K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

42.99%

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

$206 €179

$81.3 MX$1,418

153.06%

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

$21.42 €18.67

$22.56 MX$393

-5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 €45.14

$30.05 MX$524

72.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.07 €25.35

$52.9 MX$923

-45.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.06 €7.90

$18.39 MX$321

-50.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 €12.89

$4.92 MX$85.8

200.61%

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

$636 €554

$201 MX$3,502

216.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.9K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

164.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €98.3

$35.92 MX$627

213.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.71 €43.34

$40.13 MX$700

23.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$79.7 MX$1,390

47.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €117

$86.5 MX$1,508

55.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 €853

$978 MX$17.1K

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 €715

$470 MX$8,206

74.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 €1,311

$1,651 MX$28.8K

-8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 €1,057

$1,203 MX$21.0K

0.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,695 €4,093

$3,953 MX$69.0K

18.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,436 €2,124

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-63.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,183 €2,775

$677 MX$11.8K

370.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

11.42

-71.37%

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

Last update for Hasselt: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Hasselt versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 370% higher in Hasselt, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Hasselt versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $252 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,064 in Hasselt, $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 64% apart. Hasselt costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,096 per month in Hasselt and $1,890 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $636 per month in Hasselt and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Hasselt, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Hasselt at $2,064. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hasselt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $2,064 in Hasselt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hasselt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.