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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,066 per month in Mortsel vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,141 per month in Mortsel vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,215 per month in Mortsel vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mortsel costs about 63% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mortsel sits 54% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.08 €20.01

$11.87 MX$207

94.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €99.9

$42.90 MX$749

168.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.61 €10.93

$10.65 MX$186

18.40%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.56

$3.45 MX$60.2

18.84%

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

$3.48 €3.02

$1.50 MX$26.24

132.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.76

$0.95 MX$16.56

234.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.72

$3.03 MX$52.8

79.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.07

$4.61 MX$80.4

1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.17

$1.38 MX$24.01

-2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 €2.37

$1.85 MX$32.24

48.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.61 MX$28.11

46.58%

Eggs

$4.11 €3.57

$2.59 MX$45.26

58.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.40 €15.08

$8.26 MX$144

110.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 €10.29

$8.37 MX$146

41.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 €19.04

$10.66 MX$186

106.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.51

$2.63 MX$45.89

10.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.49 MX$25.96

62.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.92 MX$33.50

22.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 €2.66

$2.09 MX$36.41

46.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.86 MX$32.42

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.26 MX$39.47

-5.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.06 MX$18.54

23.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.09 MX$18.98

-24.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.50 €10.83

$4.15 MX$72.4

201.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 €7.93

$10.39 MX$181

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.72 MX$30.09

11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.99

$2.61 MX$45.60

-12.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 €2.28

$0.54 MX$9.46

387.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 €48.35

$26.94 MX$470

107.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €5.00

$3.13 MX$54.6

84.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.18

$2.51 MX$43.82

0.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.40 €40.22

$3.15 MX$55.0

1373.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.27 MX$22.25

50.39%

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

$34.0K €29.4K

$30.4K MX$530.1K

11.79%

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

$33.6K €29.1K

$23.6K MX$411.3K

42.51%

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

$227 €197

$83.0 MX$1,449

173.60%

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

$23.50 €20.37

$22.71 MX$396

3.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 €44.37

$29.46 MX$514

73.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.12 €33.90

$51.0 MX$890

-23.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 €14.55

$18.33 MX$320

-8.46%

Cinema Ticket

$15.00 €13.00

$4.93 MX$86.0

204.26%

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

$581 €504

$197 MX$3,444

194.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.8K

$5,280 MX$92.1K

157.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.7

$36.90 MX$644

202.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.37 €42.79

$39.89 MX$696

23.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.5

$80.0 MX$1,396

33.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €143

$89.5 MX$1,561

84.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 €789

$956 MX$16.7K

-4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 €655

$477 MX$8,327

58.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 €1,158

$1,646 MX$28.7K

-18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 €970

$1,225 MX$21.4K

-8.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,446 €3,854

$3,918 MX$68.4K

13.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,308 €2,867

$6,459 MX$112.7K

-48.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,442 €2,117

$667 MX$11.6K

266.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.42

-69.35%

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

Last update for Mortsel: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $911 in Mortsel versus $956 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 266% higher in Mortsel, 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 $115 in Mortsel versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $250 – 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

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

Yes – Mortsel is pricier by about 63%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,100 per month in Mortsel and $1,906 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.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Mortsel, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $115 in Mortsel and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Mortsel at $2,066. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mortsel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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