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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,780 per month in Lelystad vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,755 per month in Lelystad vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,731 per month in Lelystad vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lelystad costs about 36% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lelystad sits 29% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.93 €19.77

$11.96 MX$203

91.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 €74.0

$47.38 MX$804

81.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.09 €12.15

$11.75 MX$199

19.91%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.66

$4.12 MX$70.0

3.16%

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

$2.71 €2.33

$1.40 MX$23.74

93.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.10

$0.91 MX$15.48

167.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €4.86

$3.21 MX$54.4

75.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.93

$7.07 MX$120

-35.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.68 MX$28.44

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.15 MX$36.48

-20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.77 MX$30.10

42.37%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.11

$2.82 MX$47.76

69.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 €6.18

$9.20 MX$156

-22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.66 €12.64

$9.23 MX$157

58.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.24 €14.86

$12.64 MX$214

36.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.95 MX$50.1

-24.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$1.58 MX$26.79

61.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$2.22 MX$37.70

-13.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.08

$2.36 MX$40.09

51.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.99 MX$33.81

-9.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.98 MX$33.58

-8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.24 MX$21.04

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.71

$1.21 MX$20.55

-31.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 €8.85

$4.60 MX$78.1

123.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.05

$10.52 MX$178

-33.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.69 MX$28.70

-17.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.77 MX$47.06

-9.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €99.9

$29.70 MX$504

290.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 €3.30

$5.24 MX$88.8

-26.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 €2.39

$3.65 MX$61.9

-23.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.34 €23.57

$5.78 MX$98.1

373.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.54 MX$26.09

45.45%

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

$34.2K €29.5K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

50.03%

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

$40.2K €34.6K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

55.62%

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

$248 €213

$90.7 MX$1,538

173.06%

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

$14.99 €12.92

$25.19 MX$427

-40.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.63 €28.99

$31.75 MX$539

5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.01 €38.80

$68.8 MX$1,167

-34.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 €11.97

$4.86 MX$82.5

185.80%

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

$2,850 €2,456

$226 MX$3,828

1162.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,485 €7,314

$4,194 MX$71.1K

102.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €86.6

$47.38 MX$804

111.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.22 €42.43

$43.45 MX$737

13.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €84.7

$80.2 MX$1,361

22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$91.4 MX$1,550

31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 €597

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-36.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 €395

$409 MX$6,933

12.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 €1,194

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-29.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €715

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-35.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,471 €2,130

$773 MX$13.1K

219.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

11.45

-71.97%

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

Last update for Lelystad: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $693 in Lelystad 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.

Salaries run about 219% higher in Lelystad, 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 $86.0 in Lelystad versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 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

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

Lelystad costs about 36% 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 $2,670 per month in Lelystad 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 $86.0 in Lelystad 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 $1,780 in Lelystad 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 Lelystad at $1,780. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lelystad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,305 versus $1,780 in Lelystad. 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, Lelystad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.