Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,113 per month in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,147 per month in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,180 per month in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw costs about 68% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw sits 59% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.97 €19.90

$11.72 MX$203

95.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 €79.3

$41.89 MX$725

118.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €12.09

$10.51 MX$182

32.83%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.61

$3.59 MX$62.0

16.16%

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

$3.09 €2.68

$1.51 MX$26.10

104.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.55

$0.92 MX$15.83

220.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €4.92

$2.96 MX$51.2

91.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.96

$4.41 MX$76.3

29.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.40 MX$24.16

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.88 MX$32.60

40.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.56 MX$26.97

46.79%

Eggs

$4.11 €3.56

$2.61 MX$45.14

57.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.89 €14.63

$8.32 MX$144

103.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 €10.07

$8.35 MX$145

39.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 €16.03

$10.86 MX$188

70.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.71 MX$46.93

11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.15

$1.51 MX$26.04

64.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.28

$1.87 MX$32.41

40.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 €2.63

$2.19 MX$37.89

38.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.86 MX$32.14

-1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.23 MX$38.59

-7.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.07 MX$18.48

23.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.09 MX$18.79

-12.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.42 €10.75

$4.19 MX$72.4

196.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 €8.05

$10.43 MX$180

-10.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.66 MX$28.68

21.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.65

$2.61 MX$45.19

17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.53

$0.54 MX$9.37

440.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 €49.66

$26.16 MX$453

119.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 €6.61

$3.08 MX$53.3

148.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.40 MX$41.61

2.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.48

$3.13 MX$54.1

987.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.31 MX$22.69

47.33%

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

$34.1K €29.5K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

14.38%

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

$36.3K €31.5K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

55.79%

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

$226 €196

$81.3 MX$1,406

178.11%

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

$21.18 €18.34

$22.56 MX$390

-6.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.95 €43.25

$30.05 MX$520

66.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.13 €33.89

$52.9 MX$915

-26.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.64 €14.41

$18.39 MX$318

-9.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 €13.12

$4.92 MX$85.1

208.13%

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

$583 €505

$201 MX$3,474

190.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.9K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

165.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.1

$35.92 MX$622

195.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.28 €41.81

$40.13 MX$694

20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.9

$79.7 MX$1,379

33.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €132

$86.5 MX$1,496

76.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 €790

$978 MX$16.9K

-6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 €651

$470 MX$8,140

59.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 €1,169

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-18.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €965

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-7.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 €3,090

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-9.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,227 €2,794

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-51.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

11.42

-68.04%

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

Last update for Sint-Pieters-Leeuw: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $912 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $252 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-Pieters-Leeuw vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sint-Pieters-Leeuw is pricier by about 68%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,170 per month in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and $1,890 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $2,113 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 119% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw at $2,113. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw 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, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.