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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,181 in Diest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,195 in Diest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,209 in Diest.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 42% less than in Diest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Diest is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$23.34 €20.35

-50.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$91.3 €79.6

-48.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$12.38 €10.79

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.73 €3.25

6.70%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$3.51 €3.06

-59.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$2.82 €2.46

-70.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$5.60 €4.88

-43.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.68 €4.08

45.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.26 €1.10

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.89 €2.52

-23.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.29 €2.00

-25.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.73 €3.25

-26.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$17.71 €15.44

-45.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$12.48 €10.88

-27.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$20.49 €17.86

-37.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.93 €2.56

-1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.37 €2.07

-36.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.69 €2.35

-20.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$3.11 €2.71

-27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.34 €2.04

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.93 €1.68

3.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.52 €1.32

-19.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.03 €0.90

16.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$13.70 €11.94

-66.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.12 €7.08

27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.01 €1.75

-19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.94 €1.69

48.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$3.16 €2.76

-81.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$50.3 €43.83

-42.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$5.90 €5.14

-8.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.50 €2.18

49.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$41.71 €36.36

-86.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.97 €1.72

-21.83%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$36.7K €31.9K

-38.48%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$35.2K €30.6K

-25.89%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$211 €184

-56.62%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$21.68 €18.90

16.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$52.6 €45.82

-40.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$37.53 €32.71

79.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$20.60 €17.96

41.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$15.71 €13.70

-69.06%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$745 €650

-70.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$25.3K €22.0K

-83.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$106 €92.3

-55.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$48.58 €42.35

-8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$105 €91.4

-23.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$147 €128

-37.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$958 €835

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$857 €747

-54.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,410 €1,229

52.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,173 €1,023

8.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$4,123 €3,594

-2.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$2,944 €2,566

120.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,162 €1,885

-64.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.46

230.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Diest: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $958 in Diest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Diest pays 185% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $91.0 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $357 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Diest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 185% lower in Diest. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $958 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 75% less than in Diest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $745 in Diest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,181 in Diest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Diest. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Diest 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 72% less than in Diest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.