Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ninove and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,106 in Ninove, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ninove, Belgium
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ninove
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,106
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,106 in Ninove versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ninove $2,106
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,141 in Ninove versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ninove $3,141
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,177 in Ninove versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ninove $4,177
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Ninove is roughly 75% 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: Ninove is 55% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.57 €21.17
$10.92 MX$204
115.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$97.0 €87.1
$43.37 MX$808
123.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.57 €12.19
$11.78 MX$220
15.20%
Cappuccino
$4.24 €3.81
$3.81 MX$71.0
11.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.69
$1.28 MX$23.90
134.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 €2.65
$0.78 MX$14.59
278.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.61 €5.04
$3.17 MX$59.0
76.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.01 €5.40
$4.93 MX$92.0
21.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.41 MX$26.22
-3.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 €1.86
$2.22 MX$41.33
-6.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 €2.01
$1.42 MX$26.42
57.04%
Eggs
$3.84 €3.45
$2.52 MX$47.03
52.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.34 €14.67
$7.26 MX$135
125.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.85 €10.64
$7.70 MX$143
53.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.27 €18.21
$12.69 MX$237
59.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.71 €2.44
$2.78 MX$51.9
-2.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.49 €2.24
$1.37 MX$25.50
81.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 €2.35
$2.55 MX$47.55
2.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.41 €3.07
$2.12 MX$39.58
60.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.94 MX$36.13
19.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 €1.61
$1.89 MX$35.16
-5.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.15 MX$21.37
29.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 €1.01
$1.18 MX$21.98
-5.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.96 €11.64
$4.30 MX$80.1
201.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.68 €7.80
$9.95 MX$185
-12.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.58 MX$29.52
-10.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.87
$2.67 MX$49.79
-22.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.12 €2.81
$0.55 MX$10.31
467.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.3 €45.17
$26.62 MX$496
88.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 €5.11
$4.97 MX$92.6
14.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.72 €2.45
$3.33 MX$62.1
-18.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.18 €39.68
$5.36 MX$99.8
724.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.57
$1.44 MX$26.92
21.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K €31.4K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
69.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K €33.6K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
59.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$198 €178
$84.8 MX$1,581
133.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.32 €20.05
$23.41 MX$436
-4.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.99 €43.11
$28.66 MX$534
67.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.56 €32.84
$57.1 MX$1,063
-35.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.33 €17.36
$28.91 MX$539
-33.14%
Cinema Ticket
$13.39 €12.03
$5.14 MX$95.8
160.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 €710
$207 MX$3,851
282.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.9K €29.6K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
737.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.2 €70.3
$43.35 MX$808
80.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.9 €48.40
$41.44 MX$772
30.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 €96.2
$74.2 MX$1,383
44.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$180 €162
$89.3 MX$1,664
101.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$932 €837
$980 MX$18.3K
-4.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$817 €734
$381 MX$7,099
114.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 €1,263
$1,708 MX$31.8K
-17.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,159 €1,041
$1,075 MX$20.0K
7.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,253 €3,821
$3,943 MX$73.5K
7.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,110 €2,794
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-49.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ninove
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.53
11.45
-69.17%

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

Last update for Ninove: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ninove
$817
Playa del Carmen
$381 53.4% $437
Eating Out
Ninove
$344
Playa del Carmen
$202 41.2% $142
Groceries & Markets
Ninove
$342
Playa del Carmen
$255 25.5% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ninove
$268
Playa del Carmen
$137 49% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Ninove
$189
Playa del Carmen
$112 40.8% $77
Getting Around
Ninove
$82
Playa del Carmen
$50 38.5% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Ninove
$63
Playa del Carmen
$67 6.3% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Ninove and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $97 in Ninove vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Ninove
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
23:13 11:13 PM
17:13 5:13 PM
6 h behind Ninove
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,795
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ninove Playa del Carmen 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ninove
  • 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
Ninove vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ninove or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Ninove. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ninove and in Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $3,159 in Ninove and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ninove compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $932 in Ninove versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Ninove or in Playa del Carmen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Ninove. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Ninove and in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $97 in Ninove. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Ninove or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,106 in Ninove, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ninove. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ninove or Playa del Carmen?
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.

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