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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,117 in Leoben versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,199 in Leoben versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,280 in Leoben versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Leoben is roughly 64% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Leoben is 54% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 €15.21

$11.71 MX$198

50.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 €50.9

$46.59 MX$787

27.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 €11.08

$11.65 MX$197

10.56%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.48

$4.09 MX$69.2

-1.22%

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

$3.74 €3.22

$1.37 MX$23.23

172.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.83 MX$14.09

173.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 €4.27

$3.35 MX$56.7

48.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.23

$6.91 MX$117

-28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.73 MX$29.19

-14.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.26 MX$38.20

26.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.77 MX$29.90

3.39%

Eggs

$4.55 €3.92

$2.73 MX$46.18

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.90 €16.26

$9.18 MX$155

105.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 €12.69

$8.92 MX$151

65.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 €18.91

$12.60 MX$213

74.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$3.02 MX$51.1

-18.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.57 MX$26.54

49.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$2.13 MX$35.92

19.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.20

$2.26 MX$38.27

64.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €1.98

$2.00 MX$33.87

15.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.06 MX$34.89

7.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.18 MX$19.94

49.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.88

$1.20 MX$20.35

-14.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 €6.27

$4.63 MX$78.3

57.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.92 €5.95

$10.69 MX$181

-35.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.62 MX$27.37

-12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.88 MX$48.69

-39.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 €3.08

$0.57 MX$9.69

528.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 €56.9

$29.83 MX$504

121.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 €6.38

$5.45 MX$92.1

36.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 €1.02

$3.70 MX$62.6

-68.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 €25.50

$5.98 MX$101

395.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.55 MX$26.25

22.58%

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

$30.8K €26.5K

$22.3K MX$377.3K

37.76%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$25.9K MX$438.5K

16.33%

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

$309 €266

$89.1 MX$1,506

246.99%

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

$15.69 €13.50

$25.04 MX$423

-37.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.54 €35.74

$31.50 MX$532

31.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 €36.40

$67.8 MX$1,145

-37.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.25 €34.64

$28.92 MX$489

39.18%

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 €11.64

$5.05 MX$85.3

167.72%

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

$108 €93.0

$225 MX$3,802

-51.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K €12.5K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

242.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 €45.05

$47.44 MX$802

10.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.21 €29.44

$44.98 MX$760

-23.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$82.0 MX$1,386

26.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$92.1 MX$1,556

42.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 €801

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-12.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 €726

$405 MX$6,850

108.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 €1,363

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-18.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,311

$1,301 MX$22.0K

17.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,131 €6,997

$3,995 MX$67.5K

103.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,608 €5,687

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-0.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,819 €2,426

$749 MX$12.7K

276.48%

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 Leoben: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $931 in Leoben and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leoben pays 276% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Leoben vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Leoben and Playa del Carmen differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,117 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 276% higher in Leoben, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $931 in Leoben versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 122% less than in Leoben. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $108 in Leoben versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,117 in Leoben, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Leoben. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Leoben and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Leoben. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.