Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,513 in Albany, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,513

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albany 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 Albany and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,513 in Albany versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Albany $2,513
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,653 in Albany versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Albany $3,653
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,793 in Albany versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Albany $4,793
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Albany is roughly 109% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Albany is 85% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 A$27.84

$10.86 MX$201

78.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$44.21 MX$817

87.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 A$14.73

$11.76 MX$217

-12.93%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.49

$3.68 MX$68.0

22.55%

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

$2.37 A$3.41

$1.34 MX$24.79

76.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 A$2.96

$0.82 MX$15.24

151.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.45 A$12.16

$3.06 MX$56.6

176.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$4.94 MX$91.2

50.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.16

$1.47 MX$27.17

2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.81

$2.22 MX$40.95

19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.26

$1.48 MX$27.32

52.70%

Eggs

$5.33 A$7.67

$2.49 MX$45.99

114.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.67

$7.52 MX$139

26.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 A$13.75

$7.96 MX$147

19.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 A$21.10

$12.57 MX$232

16.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 A$6.14

$2.78 MX$51.3

53.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.44

$1.43 MX$26.37

115.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.70

$2.62 MX$48.37

24.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 A$6.48

$2.14 MX$39.49

110.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.05

$2.02 MX$37.38

39.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$1.99 MX$36.74

20.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$3.04

$1.14 MX$21.01

85.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.20 MX$22.18

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.20 A$59.3

$4.26 MX$78.7

867.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 A$21.34

$10.02 MX$185

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.77 A$6.87

$1.54 MX$28.41

209.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 A$7.39

$2.66 MX$49.17

93.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 A$4.05

$0.53 MX$9.73

430.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.2 A$114

$27.51 MX$508

187.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.08

$4.90 MX$90.6

-27.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$3.43 MX$63.5

-53.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.48 A$56.8

$5.38 MX$99.4

633.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.45 MX$26.76

-17.93%

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

$27.3K A$39.3K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

29.24%

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

$30.1K A$43.3K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

30.74%

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

$200 A$288

$85.4 MX$1,577

134.31%

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

$27.41 A$39.44

$23.46 MX$434

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.33 A$68.1

$28.43 MX$525

66.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 A$80.0

$62.2 MX$1,149

-10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 A$25.14

$28.68 MX$530

-39.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.43 A$20.76

$5.10 MX$94.3

182.94%

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

$2,179 A$3,136

$201 MX$3,715

983.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K A$28.9K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

409.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 A$113

$44.39 MX$820

77.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$77.4

$41.35 MX$764

30.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$157

$72.7 MX$1,344

49.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$89.6 MX$1,656

34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 A$1,977

$979 MX$18.1K

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 A$1,732

$373 MX$6,887

222.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 A$3,065

$1,681 MX$31.1K

26.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,842 A$2,651

$1,095 MX$20.2K

68.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,793 A$8,337

$3,949 MX$73.0K

46.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,841 A$6,966

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-21.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,646 A$3,808

$738 MX$13.6K

258.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

11.45

-49.00%

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

Last update for Albany: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albany

$1.2K 47.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 69% $831

Groceries & Markets

Albany

$372 14.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 30.5% $113

Eating Out

Albany

$314 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 36.3% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany

$275 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Albany

$163 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 31.4% $51

Getting Around

Albany

$102 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 49.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Albany

$84 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 14.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,374 in Albany and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany pays 259% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Albany vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Albany

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

08:23 8:23 AM

13 h behind Albany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,128

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Albany Playa del Carmen 17,100 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Albany
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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 109% lower than in Albany. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 259% higher in Albany, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,374 in Albany versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,513 per month in Albany versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 188% less than in Albany. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,513 in Albany, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Albany. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Albany and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Albany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.