Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Willemstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,022 in Willemstad, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Willemstad
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Willemstad Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Willemstad

🇨🇼 Curacao

$2,022

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,022 in Willemstad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Willemstad $2,022

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,076 in Willemstad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Willemstad $3,076

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,130 in Willemstad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Willemstad $4,130

Playa del Carmen is about 40% cheaper than Willemstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Willemstad is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$18.34 ANG 32.83

-40.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$75.5 ANG 135

-40.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$11.33 ANG 20.29

5.21%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$3.61 ANG 6.46

5.26%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$3.01 ANG 5.39

-56.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$1.80 ANG 3.22

-52.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$5.57 ANG 9.96

-42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$5.44 ANG 9.75

-7.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.96 ANG 3.51

-25.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$2.84 ANG 5.08

-17.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$3.57 ANG 6.39

-59.66%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$4.21 ANG 7.53

-41.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$16.87 ANG 30.19

-54.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$7.04 ANG 12.60

12.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$12.12 ANG 21.70

5.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$5.40 ANG 9.66

-45.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$3.12 ANG 5.58

-54.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$3.29 ANG 5.89

-21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$3.80 ANG 6.79

-43.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$2.50 ANG 4.47

-22.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$1.95 ANG 3.49

-0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$2.39 ANG 4.29

-51.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$2.85 ANG 5.10

-57.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$10.02 ANG 17.93

-56.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$12.48 ANG 22.33

-21.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$2.39 ANG 4.29

-35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$2.35 ANG 4.20

15.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$1.92 ANG 3.44

-72.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$22.17 ANG 39.68

-77.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.38 ANG 2.47

11.59%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$20.6K ANG 36.9K

18.83%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$271 ANG 486

-69.18%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$76.8 ANG 138

-68.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$65.1 ANG 117

-54.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$48.55 ANG 86.9

33.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$43.82 ANG 78.4

-32.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$11.96 ANG 21.41

-57.44%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$323 ANG 578

-35.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$12.4K ANG 22.2K

-67.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$103 ANG 185

-56.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$74.7 ANG 134

-43.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$160 ANG 287

-52.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$93.1 ANG 167

-1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$810 ANG 1,450

21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$643 ANG 1,151

-40.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$1,742 ANG 3,119

-1.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$1,221 ANG 2,186

-9.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$838 ANG 1,500

379.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$170 ANG 305

3572.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$1,279 ANG 2,289

-40.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.97

130.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Willemstad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Willemstad

$643 32% 66.9% $258

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Willemstad

$376 18.7% 44.4% $116

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Willemstad

$282 14% 38.3% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Willemstad

$413 20.6% 202% $276

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Willemstad

$194 9.7% 70.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Willemstad

$72 3.6% 3.4% $2.6

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Willemstad

$30 * 1.5% 42.6% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $810 in Willemstad. 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 69% higher in Willemstad, 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $76.0 in Willemstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $376 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇼 Willemstad

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

140,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Willemstad 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Willemstad

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 Willemstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Willemstad is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,033 in Willemstad. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $2,022 in Willemstad. That's a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Playa del Carmen and $323 in Willemstad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Willemstad at $2,022. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Willemstad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Willemstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.