Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Worms

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,924 in Worms, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Worms
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,924
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,924 in Worms, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Worms $1,924

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,948 in Worms, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Worms $2,948

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,973 in Worms, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Worms $3,973

Playa del Carmen is about 37% cheaper than Worms, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 10% below the global median, while Worms is 42% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$16.80 €14.95
-35.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$83.6 €74.4
-48.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$12.46 €11.09
-5.38%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$3.99 €3.55
-3.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$3.96 €3.53
-65.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$3.36 €2.99
-75.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$5.35 €4.76
-42.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$4.26 €3.79
19.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.49 €1.32
-3.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$2.13 €1.90
4.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$4.00 €3.56
-63.25%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$3.34 €2.97
-24.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$13.77 €12.25
-46.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$9.99 €8.88
-21.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$26.24 €23.34
-51.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$3.20 €2.85
-9.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$2.19 €1.95
-34.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$1.95 €1.73
30.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$3.79 €3.37
-45.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$1.18 €1.05
69.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$1.24 €1.10
62.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$1.52 €1.35
-21.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$1.11 €0.99
13.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$9.75 €8.67
-54.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$5.71 €5.08
67.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$1.13 €1.01
40.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$1.48 €1.31
89.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$3.22 €2.87
-82.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$67.2 €59.8
-58.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$4.13 €3.67
20.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$2.26 €2.01
54.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$36.37 €32.35
-85.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$2.21 €1.97
-33.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$33.0K €29.3K
-36.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$38.8K €34.5K
-38.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$277 €247
-69.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$26.63 €23.68
-9.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$38.89 €34.59
-25.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$39.29 €34.95
60.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
$23.54 €20.94
23.79%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$13.46 €11.97
-63.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$520 €463
-60.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$17.9K €15.9K
-77.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$85.4 €76.0
-48.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$34.65 €30.82
24.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$95.8 €85.2
-20.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$137 €122
-35.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$796 €708
26.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$639 €569
-41.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$1,471 €1,308
16.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$1,113 €990
-0.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
$5,421 €4,822
-27.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
$3,771 €3,354
63.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Worms
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$2,990 €2,660
-74.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.62
216.30%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Worms: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Worms
$639 70.9% $265
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Worms
$337 30.3% $78
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Worms
$284 40.5% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Worms
$343 150% $205
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Worms
$159 40.5% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Worms
$66 9.1% $6.7
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Worms
$96 81.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $796 in Worms. 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 296% higher in Worms, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $84.0 in Worms. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $337 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇩🇪 Worms
🕒 Local time
05:48 5:48 AM
12:48 12:48 PM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
86,283
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Worms 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Worms

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 Worms: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Worms cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Worms is pricier by about 59%, 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 $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,885 in Worms. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Worms?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $1,924 in Worms. That's a gap of about 59%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 142% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Worms?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Worms at $1,924. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Worms it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Worms more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Worms?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Worms makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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