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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,343 per month in Herentals vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,386 per month in Herentals vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Herentals vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Herentals costs about 80% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Herentals sits 70% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.85 €16.25

$11.96 MX$203

57.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.5 €80.6

$47.38 MX$805

97.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.50 €10.78

$11.75 MX$200

6.38%

Cappuccino

$3.73 €3.22

$4.12 MX$70.1

-9.47%

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

$3.72 €3.21

$1.40 MX$23.78

165.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.36

$0.91 MX$15.50

201.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.10

$3.21 MX$54.5

84.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.04

$7.07 MX$120

-33.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.68 MX$28.49

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.15 MX$36.53

30.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 €3.36

$1.77 MX$30.14

120.34%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.36

$2.82 MX$47.83

38.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.94 €21.50

$9.20 MX$156

171.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.09 €10.43

$9.23 MX$157

30.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 €13.49

$12.64 MX$215

23.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.81

$2.95 MX$50.1

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$1.58 MX$26.83

56.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 €3.44

$2.22 MX$37.76

79.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 €2.70

$2.36 MX$40.15

32.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$1.99 MX$33.86

35.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.98 MX$33.63

8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.24 MX$21.07

45.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.21 MX$20.58

-4.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 €8.92

$4.60 MX$78.2

124.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.10 €6.12

$10.52 MX$179

-32.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.27

$1.69 MX$28.74

55.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.76

$2.77 MX$47.13

15.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 €2.82

$0.60 MX$10.24

446.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 €48.53

$29.70 MX$505

89.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 €4.62

$5.24 MX$89.0

2.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.65 MX$62.0

-26.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €14.76

$5.78 MX$98.3

196.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.54 MX$26.13

17.53%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

58.92%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$25.8K MX$438.5K

34.02%

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

$351 €302

$90.7 MX$1,540

286.73%

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

$26.22 €22.61

$25.19 MX$428

4.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 €52.8

$31.75 MX$539

92.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.81 €32.61

$68.8 MX$1,169

-45.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.93 €18.05

$29.37 MX$499

-28.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 €12.82

$4.86 MX$82.6

205.76%

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

$871 €751

$226 MX$3,834

286.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K €19.3K

$4,194 MX$71.2K

433.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 €72.1

$47.38 MX$805

76.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 €44.34

$43.45 MX$738

18.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.0

$80.2 MX$1,363

31.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €146

$91.4 MX$1,552

85.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 €821

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-12.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 €737

$409 MX$6,943

109.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 €1,256

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-26.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 €1,015

$1,281 MX$21.8K

-8.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,241 €3,657

$4,046 MX$68.7K

4.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,033 €2,615

$6,704 MX$113.9K

-54.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

11.45

-68.12%

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

Last update for Herentals: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Herentals versus $1,086 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Herentals versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $278 – 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

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

Yes – Herentals is pricier by about 80%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,515 per month in Herentals and $1,958 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Herentals and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,343 in Herentals and $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Herentals at $2,343. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Herentals it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Herentals makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.