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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,455 in Olsztyn versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,981 in Olsztyn versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,506 in Olsztyn versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Olsztyn is roughly 16% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Olsztyn is 9% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.64 zł 40.34

$11.99 MX$210

-11.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.03 zł 174

$41.78 MX$731

10.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 zł 28.57

$10.75 MX$188

-29.86%

Cappuccino

$3.02 zł 11.46

$3.50 MX$61.1

-13.71%

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

$1.69 zł 6.40

$1.45 MX$25.33

16.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 zł 7.21

$0.88 MX$15.47

115.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 zł 12.50

$2.95 MX$51.6

11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 zł 14.52

$4.51 MX$78.9

-15.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 zł 3.98

$1.43 MX$25.04

-26.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 zł 5.16

$1.84 MX$32.13

-26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 zł 5.65

$1.57 MX$27.42

-5.10%

Eggs

$3.27 zł 12.40

$2.51 MX$43.92

30.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 zł 33.62

$8.28 MX$145

7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 zł 22.82

$8.43 MX$147

-28.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.81 zł 37.16

$10.68 MX$187

-8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 zł 4.32

$2.61 MX$45.62

-56.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 zł 5.67

$1.44 MX$25.15

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 zł 7.61

$1.96 MX$34.31

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 zł 10.20

$2.09 MX$36.62

28.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 zł 2.84

$1.85 MX$32.37

-59.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 zł 4.52

$2.17 MX$37.90

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 zł 4.38

$1.03 MX$18.04

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 zł 2.77

$1.07 MX$18.78

-31.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.44 zł 20.61

$4.10 MX$71.7

32.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 zł 30.48

$10.17 MX$178

-20.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 zł 3.75

$1.68 MX$29.29

-41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.49

$2.53 MX$44.17

-32.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 zł 4.04

$0.51 MX$8.90

109.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.54 zł 104

$26.04 MX$455

5.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 zł 7.54

$3.23 MX$56.5

-38.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 zł 2.70

$2.41 MX$42.06

-70.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.84 zł 52.4

$3.23 MX$56.5

328.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 zł 6.64

$1.32 MX$23.10

32.58%

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

$33.3K zł 126.1K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

12.02%

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

$31.2K zł 118.2K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

31.78%

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

$278 zł 1,053

$82.0 MX$1,434

238.70%

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

$9.00 zł 34.13

$22.95 MX$401

-60.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.01 zł 64.5

$30.11 MX$527

-43.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.99 zł 125

$52.0 MX$909

-36.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.57 zł 62.8

$18.53 MX$324

-10.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 zł 30.76

$4.98 MX$87.0

63.05%

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

$136 zł 515

$197 MX$3,452

-31.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K zł 59.9K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

196.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.4 zł 365

$35.60 MX$622

170.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.27 zł 179

$40.33 MX$705

17.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 zł 307

$78.8 MX$1,377

2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 422

$88.9 MX$1,555

25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 zł 2,427

$947 MX$16.6K

-32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 zł 2,016

$474 MX$8,288

12.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 zł 3,631

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 zł 2,260

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-50.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 zł 14.8K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-3.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,714 zł 10.3K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-58.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,425 zł 5,402

$654 MX$11.4K

117.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

11.42

-49.12%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $640 in Olsztyn and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays 118% 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: $46.00 in Olsztyn vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $249, with Olsztyn cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 118% higher in Olsztyn, 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: $640 in Olsztyn versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Olsztyn pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $46.00 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,455 in Olsztyn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. 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 Olsztyn, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Olsztyn 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 16% less than in Olsztyn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.