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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Oostrewolde versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,461 in Oostrewolde versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,469 in Oostrewolde versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oostrewolde is roughly 95% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oostrewolde is 84% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €16.12

$11.95 MX$209

53.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €62.8

$41.94 MX$733

70.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €8.09

$10.42 MX$182

-11.71%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.47

$3.51 MX$61.4

-19.94%

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

$2.96 €2.60

$1.52 MX$26.50

94.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$0.91 MX$15.91

87.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.20 €5.45

$3.04 MX$53.1

103.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 €4.42

$4.37 MX$76.4

15.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.10

$1.42 MX$24.84

-11.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 €0.91

$1.83 MX$32.00

-43.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 €2.08

$1.63 MX$28.57

44.79%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.31

$2.54 MX$44.38

92.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 €10.36

$8.57 MX$150

37.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.09 €15.02

$8.49 MX$148

101.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.74 €14.72

$10.80 MX$189

55.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.12

$2.75 MX$48.14

-12.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$1.44 MX$25.10

81.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.89 MX$32.97

-56.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.64

$2.17 MX$37.93

90.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.93

$1.78 MX$31.10

23.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.80

$2.22 MX$38.87

-7.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.00

$1.07 MX$18.68

6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$1.08 MX$18.87

-48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.58 €7.54

$4.15 MX$72.5

106.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.30 €6.42

$10.45 MX$183

-30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.03

$1.74 MX$30.47

-32.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.42

$2.58 MX$45.11

6.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 €3.17

$0.51 MX$8.97

607.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 €81.1

$25.94 MX$453

255.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.35

$3.21 MX$56.1

18.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 €2.12

$2.50 MX$43.73

-3.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 €24.20

$3.19 MX$55.7

763.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.93

$1.26 MX$21.96

73.81%

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

$38.3K €33.7K

$29.7K MX$518.8K

29.15%

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

$39.0K €34.3K

$23.7K MX$413.9K

64.82%

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

$268 €236

$82.0 MX$1,434

226.84%

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

$30.07 €26.43

$22.73 MX$397

32.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €45.85

$29.42 MX$514

77.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 €35.66

$52.2 MX$912

-22.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 €20.38

$18.45 MX$322

25.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 €13.31

$4.93 MX$86.2

207.10%

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

$1,860 €1,635

$202 MX$3,526

821.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,098 €5,361

$5,217 MX$91.2K

16.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 €72.2

$35.93 MX$628

128.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.09 €15.02

$40.33 MX$705

-57.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 €74.9

$79.9 MX$1,396

6.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 €80.0

$89.3 MX$1,561

1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 €1,232

$948 MX$16.6K

47.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,026

$465 MX$8,132

150.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,296 €2,019

$1,630 MX$28.5K

40.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 €1,550

$1,193 MX$20.8K

47.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,557 €4,885

$3,933 MX$68.7K

41.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,565 €4,013

$6,428 MX$112.3K

-28.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,363 €2,957

$658 MX$11.5K

410.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

11.42

-71.54%

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

Last update for Oostrewolde: July 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,401 in Oostrewolde and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oostrewolde pays 411% 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: $71.0 in Oostrewolde vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Oostrewolde and Playa del Carmen differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($2,453 vs $1,259 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 411% higher in Oostrewolde, 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: $1,401 in Oostrewolde versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,860 in Oostrewolde versus $202 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Oostrewolde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,453 in Oostrewolde, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oostrewolde. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Oostrewolde 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 95% less than in Oostrewolde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.