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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,047 in Ninove.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,187 in Ninove.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,327 in Ninove.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 37% less than in Ninove, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Ninove is 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$23.47 €20.21

-50.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$120 €103

-65.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$12.84 €11.05

-18.93%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$4.22 €3.63

-14.45%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$3.34 €2.87

-56.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$3.06 €2.63

-68.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$5.34 €4.60

-45.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$4.50 €3.87

2.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.36 €1.17

5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.09 €1.80

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.63 €2.27

-40.30%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$3.96 €3.41

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$17.56 €15.12

-51.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$11.69 €10.06

-26.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$21.10 €18.17

-47.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.95 €2.54

-8.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.45 €2.11

-38.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.28 €1.96

-16.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$3.46 €2.98

-37.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.28 €1.96

-17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.44 €2.10

-8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.40 €1.20

-22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.82 €0.70

30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$12.62 €10.86

-67.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$9.46 €8.15

8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.51 €1.30

11.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.93 €1.66

31.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$2.97 €2.56

-81.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$56.8 €48.93

-53.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$5.67 €4.89

-43.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$2.45 €2.11

0.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$47.02 €40.49

-93.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.89 €1.63

-30.16%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$35.2K €30.3K

-14.42%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$33.4K €28.7K

-29.92%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$202 €174

-59.78%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$25.11 €21.63

-10.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$50.6 €43.57

-40.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$39.01 €33.59

32.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$16.87 €14.53

9.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$13.94 €12.00

-62.98%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$642 €553

-68.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$13.7K €11.8K

-61.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$81.7 €70.3

-56.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$49.09 €42.27

-17.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$114 €98.4

-31.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$234 €202

-62.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$916 €789

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$756 €651

-36.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$1,376 €1,185

17.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$1,086 €935

12.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$3,915 €3,371

2.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$3,260 €2,807

98.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.27

249.24%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ninove: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $916 in Ninove. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $120 in Ninove for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $349 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 Ninove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Ninove. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,941 in Playa del Carmen and $3,070 in Ninove to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $916 in Ninove. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Ninove. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $120 in Ninove. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,047 in Ninove, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ninove. 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 $1,294 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 Ninove 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 58% less than in Ninove. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.