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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Middelburg versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Middelburg versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,092 in Middelburg versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Middelburg costs roughly 22% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Middelburg 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.31 R 135

$11.73 MX$203

-29.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.14 R 539

$41.62 MX$720

-20.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 R 81.0

$10.64 MX$184

-53.10%

Cappuccino

$1.21 R 19.69

$3.52 MX$60.9

-65.63%

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

$0.74 R 12.06

$1.51 MX$26.12

-50.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 R 9.13

$0.97 MX$16.84

-42.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 R 18.50

$2.95 MX$51.0

-61.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.18

$4.45 MX$77.0

-67.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.11

$1.38 MX$23.93

-19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.63

$1.89 MX$32.72

-46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.12

$1.64 MX$28.32

-13.41%

Eggs

$1.59 R 25.79

$2.51 MX$43.34

-36.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.62 R 91.3

$8.34 MX$144

-32.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 R 76.6

$8.34 MX$144

-43.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 R 102

$10.73 MX$186

-41.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.05

$2.60 MX$45.04

-40.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 R 17.07

$1.46 MX$25.20

-28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.57

$1.90 MX$32.87

-43.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R 19.65

$2.08 MX$35.91

-41.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.14

$1.78 MX$30.71

-12.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R 18.08

$2.19 MX$37.80

-49.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 R 18.23

$1.04 MX$17.99

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.25

$1.08 MX$18.62

-12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 R 35.42

$4.08 MX$70.6

-46.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 R 77.7

$10.32 MX$178

-53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 27.99

$1.71 MX$29.61

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R 31.58

$2.58 MX$44.54

-24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 R 21.01

$0.51 MX$8.81

152.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.36 R 640

$26.46 MX$458

48.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.72

$3.26 MX$56.4

-64.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.47

$2.49 MX$43.09

-61.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 R 67.2

$3.25 MX$56.2

27.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.69

$1.31 MX$22.61

-3.05%

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

$21.3K R 345.7K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-29.74%

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

$23.9K R 388.7K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

2.09%

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

$117 R 1,897

$82.9 MX$1,433

40.86%

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

$35.45 R 576

$22.22 MX$384

59.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.13 R 685

$29.34 MX$507

43.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.11 R 506

$51.6 MX$893

-39.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 R 111

$5.07 MX$87.6

35.11%

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

$199 R 3,235

$201 MX$3,473

-0.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,434 R 72.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-14.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 R 832

$36.92 MX$639

38.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 R 521

$39.79 MX$688

-19.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 R 1,427

$78.5 MX$1,357

11.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 R 1,294

$87.1 MX$1,506

-8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 5,941

$973 MX$16.8K

-62.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 R 5,470

$468 MX$8,090

-28.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 R 11.0K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-58.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 R 11.3K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-42.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$890 R 14.5K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-77.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$698 R 11.3K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-89.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,197 R 19.4K

$664 MX$11.5K

80.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.42

0.79%

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

Last update for Middelburg: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Middelburg and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Middelburg vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $249 per month, with Middelburg 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

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

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Middelburg pays 80% more on average, 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: $366 in Middelburg versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $199 in Middelburg versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,011 in Middelburg versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Middelburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,011 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Middelburg hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.