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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,012 in Middelburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,584 in Middelburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,157 in Middelburg.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than in Middelburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Middelburg 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.46 R 140

41.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$33.20 R 548

25.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.96 R 81.9

116.73%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.20 R 19.77

191.67%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.74 R 12.27

95.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.61 R 10.12

44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.15 R 19.03

156.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.43 R 23.54

215.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.15 R 18.90

24.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.95 R 15.69

93.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.42 R 23.47

10.56%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.61 R 26.51

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$5.60 R 92.4

47.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.62 R 76.3

82.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.31 R 104

69.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.47 R 24.33

77.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.02 R 16.76

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.03 R 17.07

90.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.15 R 18.93

81.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.59 R 26.20

16.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.10 R 18.16

97.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.13 R 18.64

-8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.96 R 15.86

11.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.16 R 35.67

89.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.95 R 81.7

105.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.70 R 28.11

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.90 R 31.43

33.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.34 R 22.15

-61.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$39.29 R 648

-33.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.10 R 18.18

193.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.88 R 14.44

173.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.97 R 65.5

-18.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.28 R 21.19

3.13%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$21.2K R 350.2K

39.96%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$23.5K R 387.1K

0.87%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$118 R 1,947

-30.48%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$35.42 R 585

-35.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$41.75 R 689

-27.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$30.98 R 511

67.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.84 R 113

-27.19%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$198 R 3,263

-0.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,307 R 71.1K

23.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$50.0 R 825

-28.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$32.35 R 534

24.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$89.3 R 1,474

-11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$81.2 R 1,341

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$369 R 6,087

156.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$331 R 5,458

43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$677 R 11.2K

142.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$679 R 11.2K

78.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$833 R 13.7K

386.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$700 R 11.6K

824.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,185 R 19.6K

-44.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.51

-0.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $369 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Middelburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $160 per month, with Middelburg 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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Middelburg. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $369 in Middelburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $198 in Middelburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,012 in Middelburg versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Middelburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,012 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Middelburg hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.