Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nijmegen and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,499 in Nijmegen, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Nijmegen
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Nijmegen Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Nijmegen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,499

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nijmegen 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 Nijmegen and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,499 in Nijmegen versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen.

Nijmegen $2,499
Playa del Carmen $1,215

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,718 in Nijmegen versus $2,144 in Playa del Carmen.

Nijmegen $3,718
Playa del Carmen $2,144

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,937 in Nijmegen versus $3,072 in Playa del Carmen.

Nijmegen $4,937
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Living in Nijmegen is roughly 106% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nijmegen is 87% above, Playa del Carmen is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.34 €22.61

$10.97 MX$201

130.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €83.6

$44.85 MX$823

108.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.97

$11.92 MX$219

12.50%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.72

$3.80 MX$69.9

9.74%

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

$3.95 €3.53

$1.31 MX$24.08

201.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$0.86 MX$15.72

205.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €5.07

$3.21 MX$59.0

76.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €5.07

$5.01 MX$92.0

13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.46 MX$26.77

-2.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.33 MX$42.72

-15.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$1.44 MX$26.48

63.19%

Eggs

$5.39 €4.81

$2.46 MX$45.20

119.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 €11.59

$7.70 MX$141

68.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.59 €13.02

$7.89 MX$145

84.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.50 €13.84

$12.80 MX$235

21.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.47

$2.92 MX$53.6

-5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.18

$1.42 MX$26.11

71.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.57 MX$47.10

-23.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 €4.84

$2.14 MX$39.24

153.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.95 MX$35.75

3.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.11

$1.94 MX$35.55

21.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.15 MX$21.13

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.22 MX$22.42

-37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.30 €12.76

$4.38 MX$80.3

226.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 €6.48

$9.85 MX$181

-26.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.54 MX$28.23

-2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.72 MX$49.86

-7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.47 €3.10

$0.52 MX$9.64

567.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 €127

$27.42 MX$503

419.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.68

$4.91 MX$90.2

-16.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 €2.76

$3.52 MX$64.7

-11.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.09 €39.35

$5.69 MX$104

674.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.54 MX$28.27

52.60%

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

$40.7K €36.4K

$21.2K MX$389.9K

91.79%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$24.5K MX$449.6K

57.18%

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

$282 €252

$83.6 MX$1,535

237.56%

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

$23.08 €20.60

$24.03 MX$441

-3.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.32 €36.87

$29.33 MX$539

40.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.36 €27.09

$64.9 MX$1,191

-53.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.10 €22.40

$29.46 MX$541

-14.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 €13.85

$5.09 MX$93.4

204.91%

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

$2,788 €2,488

$208 MX$3,813

1242.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.3K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

323.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 €87.9

$44.55 MX$818

121.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.80 €39.09

$42.06 MX$772

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.1

$75.5 MX$1,387

39.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 €153

$91.4 MX$1,678

87.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 €1,338

$986 MX$18.1K

51.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 €923

$385 MX$7,072

168.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 €2,113

$1,713 MX$31.5K

38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,483

$1,108 MX$20.4K

49.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,492 €4,901

$4,016 MX$73.7K

36.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,242 €3,785

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-32.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,457 €3,085

$758 MX$13.9K

356.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-65.07%

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

Last update for Nijmegen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nijmegen

$1K 41.3%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 62.7% $649

Eating Out

Nijmegen

$359 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 43.2% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nijmegen

$347 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 60.5% $210

Groceries & Markets

Nijmegen

$339 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 23.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Nijmegen

$189 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 39.5% $75

Getting Around

Nijmegen

$176 7%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 70.4% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Nijmegen

$61 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 22.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,499 in Nijmegen and $986 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nijmegen pays 356% 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: $94.0 in Nijmegen vs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $260 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Nijmegen

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

05:40 5:40 AM

7 h behind Nijmegen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

177,359

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nijmegen Playa del Carmen 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nijmegen
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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 356% higher in Nijmegen, 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: $1,499 in Nijmegen versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $94.0 in Nijmegen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,499 per month in Nijmegen versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,499 in Nijmegen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Nijmegen. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nijmegen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nijmegen 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 106% less than in Nijmegen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.