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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,926 in Kortrijk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,743 in Kortrijk, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,560 in Kortrijk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 33% cheaper than Kortrijk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Kortrijk is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$22.47 €19.33

-47.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$74.3 €63.9

-37.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$11.68 €10.05

-0.26%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.12 €2.68

31.09%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$3.09 €2.66

-55.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$2.79 €2.40

-70.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$4.67 €4.02

-28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.39 €2.92

103.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.25 €1.08

38.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$1.82 €1.56

24.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$1.46 €1.26

21.23%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$3.19 €2.75

-14.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$12.15 €10.46

-24.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$8.67 €7.46

2.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$15.25 €13.12

-17.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.23 €1.92

35.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$2.05 €1.76

-23.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$2.14 €1.84

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$2.00 €1.72

13.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.98 €1.70

1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.78 €1.53

15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.58 €1.36

-25.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.78 €0.67

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$13.15 €11.32

-64.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.38 €6.35

44.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$2.15 €1.85

-24.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$1.86 €1.60

54.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$2.99 €2.57

-80.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$57.6 €49.55

-48.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.25 €1.94

142.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$2.37 €2.04

56.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$26.21 €22.55

-77.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.94 €1.67

-20.10%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$36.5K €31.4K

-38.84%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$35.1K €30.2K

-26.05%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$209 €180

-57.45%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$18.54 €15.95

35.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$55.6 €47.80

-43.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$54.1 €46.57

25.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$13.78 €11.86

109.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$15.00 €12.91

-66.33%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$430 €370

-47.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$4,707 €4,050

-10.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$58.0 €49.87

-18.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$27.40 €23.58

64.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$90.4 €77.8

-9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$106 €91.3

-13.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$886 €763

20.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$758 €652

-46.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,275 €1,098

51.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,033 €889

25.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$4,255 €3,662

-6.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$2,308 €1,986

187.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$2,954 €2,542

-74.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.9

193.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Kortrijk: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $886 in Kortrijk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 295% higher in Kortrijk, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $74.0 in Kortrijk. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $271 in Kortrijk – so Kortrijk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kortrijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kortrijk costs about 49% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,889 in Kortrijk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Kortrijk – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $74.0 in Kortrijk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Kortrijk at $1,926. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kortrijk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,293 versus $1,926 in Kortrijk. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kortrijk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.