Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint Nicolaas and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $136 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$136

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sint Nicolaas and in Playa del Carmen

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

A single person spends $136 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $136
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $332 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $332
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $527 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $527
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Sint Nicolaas is about 89% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sint Nicolaas and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sint Nicolaas 90% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.40 AWG 29.34

$10.92 MX$205

50.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.10 AWG 80.7

$43.37 MX$815

3.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 AWG 2.03

$0.78 MX$14.71

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Sint Nicolaas: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sint Nicolaas

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Sint Nicolaas

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Sint Nicolaas

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sint Nicolaas

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Sint Nicolaas

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Sint Nicolaas

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Sint Nicolaas

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Sint Nicolaas versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

23:50 11:50 PM

1 h behind Sint Nicolaas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.5 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 AWG (1 AWG = 0.5 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sint Nicolaas Playa del Carmen 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sint Nicolaas
Playa del Carmen

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

Sint Nicolaas vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 787%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $204 per month in Sint Nicolaas and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $136 in Sint Nicolaas and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Sint Nicolaas about 89% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Sint Nicolaas and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Sint Nicolaas, where all-in costs run around $136, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sint Nicolaas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $136 in Sint Nicolaas to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.