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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,688 per month in Leeuwarden vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,933 per month in Leeuwarden vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,178 per month in Leeuwarden vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Leeuwarden costs about 108% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Leeuwarden sits 96% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.30 €20.05

$11.71 MX$198

98.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €98.4

$46.59 MX$786

145.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.01 €13.77

$11.65 MX$197

37.42%

Cappuccino

$3.87 €3.33

$4.09 MX$69.1

-5.38%

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

$3.75 €3.22

$1.37 MX$23.20

173.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.64

$0.83 MX$14.07

269.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 €5.89

$3.35 MX$56.6

104.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 €4.67

$6.91 MX$117

-21.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.73 MX$29.15

-33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.64

$2.26 MX$38.15

-15.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$1.77 MX$29.86

75.14%

Eggs

$4.48 €3.85

$2.73 MX$46.12

64.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 €11.39

$9.18 MX$155

44.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 €12.70

$8.92 MX$151

65.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 €14.18

$12.60 MX$213

30.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$3.02 MX$51.0

-19.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.21

$1.57 MX$26.51

63.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.13 MX$35.88

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 €3.45

$2.26 MX$38.22

76.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.00 MX$33.82

-6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.06 MX$34.85

-1.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.18 MX$19.91

6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.20 MX$20.32

-24.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.58 €12.55

$4.63 MX$78.2

214.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 €6.34

$10.69 MX$180

-31.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.62 MX$27.33

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.88 MX$48.63

-17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 €3.03

$0.57 MX$9.68

517.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €117

$29.83 MX$503

354.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 €7.86

$5.45 MX$91.9

67.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.12 €3.54

$3.70 MX$62.5

11.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.1 €45.70

$5.98 MX$101

788.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.55 MX$26.22

58.71%

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

$42.5K €36.6K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

90.26%

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

$41.3K €35.6K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

59.26%

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

$379 €326

$89.1 MX$1,504

324.69%

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

$43.12 €37.10

$25.04 MX$423

72.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 €51.3

$31.50 MX$532

89.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.57 €34.05

$67.8 MX$1,144

-41.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.48 €16.76

$28.92 MX$488

-32.64%

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 €14.86

$5.05 MX$85.2

241.98%

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

$1,382 €1,189

$225 MX$3,797

514.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K €20.1K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

453.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €100.0

$47.44 MX$801

144.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.28 €35.52

$44.98 MX$759

-8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 €116

$82.0 MX$1,384

64.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €119

$92.1 MX$1,555

50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 €1,229

$1,069 MX$18.0K

33.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 €936

$405 MX$6,842

168.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,915 €3,369

$1,935 MX$32.7K

102.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 €1,438

$1,301 MX$22.0K

28.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,672 €3,160

$3,995 MX$67.4K

-8.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,426 €2,948

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-48.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,101 €2,668

$749 MX$12.6K

314.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

11.45

-61.75%

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

Last update for Leeuwarden: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,429 in Leeuwarden versus $1,069 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 314% higher in Leeuwarden, 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 $114 in Leeuwarden versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $277 – 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

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

Leeuwarden costs about 108% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,032 per month in Leeuwarden and $1,940 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 $1,382 per month in Leeuwarden and $225 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 20% more in Leeuwarden, 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 $1,293, than in Leeuwarden at $2,688. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leeuwarden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,293 versus $2,688 in Leeuwarden. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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