Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ninove

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,106 in Ninove, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ninove, Belgium
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Ninove
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,106
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ninove actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,106 in Ninove.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Ninove $2,106

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,141 in Ninove.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Ninove $3,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,177 in Ninove.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Ninove $4,177

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 43% less than in Ninove, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Ninove is 55% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$203
$23.57 €21.05
-53.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$805
$97.0 €86.6
-55.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$219
$13.57 €12.12
-13.19%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$70.7
$4.24 €3.79
-10.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.81
$3.00 €2.68
-57.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.54
$2.95 €2.64
-73.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$58.8
$5.61 €5.01
-43.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.7
$6.01 €5.37
-17.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.12
$1.36 €1.21
3.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.17
$2.07 €1.85
7.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.32
$2.23 €1.99
-36.32%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$46.85
$3.84 €3.43
-34.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$16.34 €14.59
-55.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$11.85 €10.58
-35.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$236
$20.27 €18.11
-37.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.7
$2.71 €2.42
2.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.41
$2.49 €2.22
-44.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.37
$2.62 €2.34
-2.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.43
$3.41 €3.05
-37.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.00
$2.31 €2.06
-16.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.02
$1.79 €1.60
5.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.29
$1.49 €1.33
-22.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.89
$1.12 €1.00
5.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$79.8
$12.96 €11.57
-66.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$8.68 €7.76
14.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.41
$1.41 €1.26
12.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.60
$2.08 €1.86
28.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.28
$3.12 €2.79
-82.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$494
$50.3 €44.91
-47.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.3
$5.69 €5.08
-12.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$61.9
$2.72 €2.43
22.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.5
$44.18 €39.46
-87.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.82
$1.75 €1.56
-17.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$383.8K
$35.0K €31.2K
-40.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$435.8K
$37.4K €33.4K
-37.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,575
$198 €177
-57.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$435
$22.32 €19.93
4.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$532
$47.99 €42.86
-40.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,059
$36.56 €32.66
56.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$537
$19.33 €17.27
49.56%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.4
$13.39 €11.96
-61.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,836
$790 €706
-73.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$72.9K
$32.9K €29.4K
-88.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$805
$78.2 €69.9
-44.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$770
$53.9 €48.12
-23.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,378
$107 €95.7
-30.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,657
$180 €161
-50.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.2K
$932 €832
5.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,072
$817 €730
-53.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.7K
$1,406 €1,256
21.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$1,159 €1,035
-7.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.2K
$4,253 €3,799
-7.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.4K
$3,110 €2,778
97.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Ninove
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.53
224.36%

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 Ninove: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Ninove
$817 115% $437
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Ninove
$342 34.3% $87
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Ninove
$344 70% $142
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Ninove
$268 96% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Ninove
$189 68.9% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Ninove
$63 5.9% $4
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Ninove
$82 62.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $932 in Ninove. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $97 in Ninove for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $342 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇧🇪 Ninove
🕒 Local time
04:45 4:45 AM
10:45 10:45 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
34,795
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Ninove 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Ninove

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 Ninove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Ninove?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 43% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Ninove?
You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $3,159 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Ninove?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $932 in Ninove. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Ninove?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Ninove. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Ninove?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $97 in Ninove. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Ninove?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,106 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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Ninove?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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