Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeuwarden and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,588 in Leeuwarden, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
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Leeuwarden Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,588

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leeuwarden and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Leeuwarden and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,588 per month in Leeuwarden vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Leeuwarden $2,588
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,825 per month in Leeuwarden vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Leeuwarden $3,825
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $5,063 per month in Leeuwarden vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Leeuwarden $5,063
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Leeuwarden costs about 115% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Leeuwarden sits 91% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.50 €20.01

$10.86 MX$201

107.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 €99.2

$44.21 MX$817

152.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.61 €13.88

$11.76 MX$217

32.74%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.44

$3.68 MX$68.0

4.89%

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

$3.73 €3.32

$1.34 MX$24.79

178.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.54

$0.82 MX$15.24

248.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €6.12

$3.06 MX$56.6

124.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 €4.75

$4.94 MX$91.2

8.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.47 MX$27.17

-21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.22 MX$40.95

-13.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.48 MX$27.32

64.86%

Eggs

$4.37 €3.89

$2.49 MX$45.99

75.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 €11.32

$7.52 MX$139

69.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 €12.79

$7.96 MX$147

80.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 €14.49

$12.57 MX$232

29.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.78 MX$51.3

-16.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$1.43 MX$26.37

67.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.62 MX$48.37

-29.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 €4.67

$2.14 MX$39.49

145.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.02 MX$37.38

-14.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.99 MX$36.74

-3.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.14 MX$21.01

6.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.20 MX$22.18

-24.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 €12.63

$4.26 MX$78.7

233.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 €6.24

$10.02 MX$185

-29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.54 MX$28.41

22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$2.66 MX$49.17

-36.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 €2.92

$0.53 MX$9.73

520.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 €113

$27.51 MX$508

362.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.78 €7.81

$4.90 MX$90.6

79.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.43 MX$63.5

16.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.0 €45.38

$5.38 MX$99.4

848.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.15

$1.45 MX$26.76

66.21%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

96.88%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

69.35%

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

$369 €328

$85.4 MX$1,577

332.57%

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

$43.01 €38.26

$23.46 MX$434

83.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.83 €40.77

$28.43 MX$525

61.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 €33.56

$62.2 MX$1,149

-39.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 €16.90

$28.68 MX$530

-33.75%

Cinema Ticket

$16.54 €14.71

$5.10 MX$94.3

224.31%

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

$1,353 €1,204

$201 MX$3,715

573.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K €20.0K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

469.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$44.39 MX$820

157.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 €34.85

$41.35 MX$764

-5.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 €116

$72.7 MX$1,344

78.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$89.6 MX$1,656

51.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 €1,202

$979 MX$18.1K

37.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 €915

$373 MX$6,887

175.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,851 €3,425

$1,681 MX$31.1K

129.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,434

$1,095 MX$20.2K

47.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,638 €3,236

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-7.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 €2,889

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-47.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 €2,658

$738 MX$13.6K

305.24%

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: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 63.7% $655

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leeuwarden

$458 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 70% $321

Eating Out

Leeuwarden

$345 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 41.9% $144

Groceries & Markets

Leeuwarden

$328 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 21.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Leeuwarden

$189 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 40.8% $77

Getting Around

Leeuwarden

$169 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 69.4% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Leeuwarden

$71 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 2.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,351 in Leeuwarden versus $979 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 305% 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 $112 in Leeuwarden versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

03:08 3:08 AM

7 h behind Leeuwarden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,992

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Leeuwarden Playa del Carmen 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Leeuwarden
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 115% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $3,882 per month in Leeuwarden and $1,806 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 $1,353 per month in Leeuwarden 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 27% 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 $1,204, than in Leeuwarden at $2,588. 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 $1,204 versus $2,588 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.