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: $2,443 in Oostrewolde versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,443 in Oostrewolde versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,443 in Oostrewolde versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oostrewolde is roughly 92% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oostrewolde is 82% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 €15.84

$11.87 MX$207

54.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €62.0

$42.90 MX$749

66.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 €8.09

$10.65 MX$186

-12.30%

Cappuccino

$2.95 €2.56

$3.45 MX$60.2

-14.49%

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

$2.81 €2.44

$1.50 MX$26.24

87.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.95 MX$16.56

82.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.45 €5.59

$3.03 MX$52.8

112.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.14

$4.61 MX$80.4

3.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.38 MX$24.01

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.85 MX$32.24

-45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 €2.03

$1.61 MX$28.11

45.96%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.29

$2.59 MX$45.26

91.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 €10.20

$8.26 MX$144

42.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 €14.50

$8.37 MX$146

99.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 €14.98

$10.66 MX$186

62.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.63 MX$45.89

-8.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.17

$1.49 MX$25.96

67.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.92 MX$33.50

-55.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 €3.60

$2.09 MX$36.41

99.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.88

$1.86 MX$32.42

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$2.26 MX$39.47

-7.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.06 MX$18.54

6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$1.09 MX$18.98

-48.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.91 €7.72

$4.15 MX$72.4

114.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.07 €6.13

$10.39 MX$181

-31.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.96

$1.72 MX$30.09

-35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.35

$2.61 MX$45.60

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 €3.13

$0.54 MX$9.46

570.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.5 €80.2

$26.94 MX$470

243.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 €3.36

$3.13 MX$54.6

23.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.51 MX$43.82

-4.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.06 €24.32

$3.15 MX$55.0

790.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.27 MX$22.25

81.89%

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

$37.7K €32.7K

$30.4K MX$530.1K

24.21%

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

$38.7K €33.6K

$23.6K MX$411.3K

64.27%

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

$271 €235

$83.0 MX$1,449

226.36%

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

$29.80 €25.83

$22.71 MX$396

31.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 €46.41

$29.46 MX$514

81.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.23 €34.87

$51.0 MX$890

-21.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.31 €20.20

$18.33 MX$320

27.17%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.29

$4.93 MX$86.0

210.95%

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

$1,896 €1,644

$197 MX$3,444

861.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,060 €5,252

$5,280 MX$92.1K

14.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 €69.4

$36.90 MX$644

116.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.62 €15.27

$39.89 MX$696

-55.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 €74.8

$80.0 MX$1,396

7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 €79.3

$89.5 MX$1,561

2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 €1,233

$956 MX$16.7K

48.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,032

$477 MX$8,327

149.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 €1,968

$1,646 MX$28.7K

37.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 €1,526

$1,225 MX$21.4K

43.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,716 €4,954

$3,918 MX$68.4K

45.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 €4,005

$6,459 MX$112.7K

-28.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,401 €2,947

$667 MX$11.6K

409.86%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,422 in Oostrewolde and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oostrewolde pays 410% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $250 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 92% in total monthly costs ($2,443 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Oostrewolde pays 410% more on average, 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: $1,422 in Oostrewolde versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,896 in Oostrewolde versus $197 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,443 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 92% less than in Oostrewolde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.