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 $1,873 per month in Herentals vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,754 per month in Herentals vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,634 per month in Herentals vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Herentals costs about 44% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Herentals sits 40% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.87 €22.25

$11.73 MX$203

120.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.5

$41.62 MX$720

52.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 €11.65

$10.64 MX$184

27.35%

Cappuccino

$2.48 €2.14

$3.52 MX$60.9

-29.55%

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

$2.05 €1.76

$1.51 MX$26.12

35.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.97 MX$16.84

86.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.95 MX$51.0

-21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$4.45 MX$77.0

-39.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 €0.57

$1.38 MX$23.93

-51.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.89 MX$32.72

6.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.64 MX$28.32

28.05%

Eggs

$2.43 €2.09

$2.51 MX$43.34

-3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 €8.98

$8.34 MX$144

25.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.53 €9.06

$8.34 MX$144

26.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.06 €13.82

$10.73 MX$186

49.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.51

$2.60 MX$45.04

12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.46 MX$25.20

21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.90 MX$32.87

-5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.08 MX$35.91

51.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.78 MX$30.71

-35.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.19 MX$37.80

-13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.04 MX$17.99

8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 €0.26

$1.08 MX$18.62

-71.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.27 €10.55

$4.08 MX$70.6

200.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 €5.85

$10.32 MX$178

-34.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.71 MX$29.61

-52.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$2.58 MX$44.54

-36.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$0.51 MX$8.81

450.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 €48.94

$26.46 MX$458

115.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 €6.55

$3.26 MX$56.4

133.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 €2.76

$2.49 MX$43.09

28.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.33

$3.25 MX$56.2

949.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.31 MX$22.61

42.75%

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

$32.9K €28.3K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

8.52%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

47.36%

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

$171 €147

$82.9 MX$1,433

105.86%

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

$21.28 €18.30

$22.22 MX$384

-4.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 €48.89

$29.34 MX$507

93.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.14 €33.67

$51.6 MX$893

-24.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.00 €14.63

$18.32 MX$317

-7.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.93 €12.84

$5.07 MX$87.6

194.48%

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

$614 €529

$201 MX$3,473

206.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.8K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

162.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 €68.5

$36.92 MX$639

115.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 €42.27

$39.79 MX$688

23.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.9

$78.5 MX$1,357

48.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.4

$87.1 MX$1,506

32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 €771

$973 MX$16.8K

-7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 €636

$468 MX$8,090

58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 €1,184

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-16.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 €954

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-9.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,914 €3,367

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-0.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,969 €2,554

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-54.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,330 €2,005

$664 MX$11.5K

251.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

11.42

-72.85%

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

Last update for Herentals: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $896 in Herentals versus $973 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 251% higher in Herentals, 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 $63.0 in Herentals versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $249 – 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 44%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,810 per month in Herentals and $1,945 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 $63.0 in Herentals and $42.00 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 $1,873 in Herentals and $1,297 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 $1,297, than in Herentals at $1,873. 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.