Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mouscron

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,182 in Mouscron, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mouscron, Belgium
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Mouscron
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,182
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mouscron

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Mouscron actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,182 in Mouscron, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Mouscron $2,182

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,123 in Mouscron, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Mouscron $3,123

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,063 in Mouscron, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Mouscron $4,063

Playa del Carmen is about 45% cheaper than Mouscron, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Mouscron is 60% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$22.39 €20.11
-51.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$79.1 €71.1
-45.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$13.23 €11.89
-10.96%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$4.37 €3.92
-12.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$2.97 €2.67
-56.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$2.95 €2.65
-73.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$5.72 €5.14
-44.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$4.36 €3.92
13.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.39 €1.25
1.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$2.65 €2.38
-16.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$2.07 €1.86
-31.40%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$3.87 €3.48
-34.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$11.70 €10.51
-37.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$12.13 €10.90
-36.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$18.80 €16.89
-32.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$2.68 €2.40
3.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$2.13 €1.92
-35.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$2.23 €2.01
14.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$2.24 €2.01
-5.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$2.26 €2.03
-14.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$1.66 €1.49
13.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$1.48 €1.33
-22.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$0.96 €0.86
22.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$13.56 €12.18
-68.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$7.42 €6.67
34.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$2.09 €1.88
-24.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$1.84 €1.66
45.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$2.91 €2.61
-81.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$52.0 €46.72
-48.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$10.02 €9.01
-50.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$2.39 €2.14
39.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$25.19 €22.63
-78.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$1.98 €1.78
-27.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$35.5K €31.9K
-41.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$37.0K €33.2K
-36.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$211 €190
-59.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$18.20 €16.35
28.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$52.4 €47.03
-45.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$36.72 €32.99
55.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$17.40 €15.63
66.15%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$14.36 €12.90
-64.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$710 €638
-70.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$16.4K €14.7K
-76.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$96.6 €86.8
-55.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$26.10 €23.45
58.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$89.9 €80.8
-17.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$145 €130
-38.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$930 €835
5.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$937 €842
-59.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,336 €1,200
27.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$1,261 €1,133
-14.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$4,446 €3,994
-11.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$2,870 €2,578
114.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Mouscron
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$4,148 €3,727
-82.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.52
225.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mouscron: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Mouscron
$937 146% $556
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Mouscron
$319 25.3% $64
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Mouscron
$332 64.2% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Mouscron
$282 106% $145
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Mouscron
$161 44% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Mouscron
$65 2.8% $1.9
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Mouscron
$86 69.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $930 in Mouscron. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mouscron are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $79 in Mouscron. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $319 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇧🇪 Mouscron
🕒 Local time
18:05 6:05 PM
00:05 12:05 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
56,626
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Mouscron 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Mouscron

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mouscron: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Mouscron?
Yes – Mouscron is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,273 in Mouscron. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Mouscron?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $930 in Mouscron. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Mouscron?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Mouscron, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Mouscron?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $79 in Mouscron. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Mouscron?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Mouscron at $2,182. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mouscron it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Mouscron?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,182 in Mouscron. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mouscron makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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