Cost of Living Comparison Between Alberton and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Alberton and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,091 in Alberton versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,736 in Alberton versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,381 in Alberton versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Alberton costs roughly 14% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alberton 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 R 137

$11.87 MX$204

-28.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.09 R 551

$42.90 MX$736

-20.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.38 R 70.8

$10.65 MX$183

-58.87%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 32.85

$3.45 MX$59.2

-41.16%

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

$1.06 R 17.06

$1.50 MX$25.81

-29.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 13.98

$0.95 MX$16.28

-9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 R 35.30

$3.03 MX$51.9

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 R 37.03

$4.61 MX$79.1

-50.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R 17.51

$1.38 MX$23.61

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.38

$1.85 MX$31.70

-45.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.40

$1.61 MX$27.65

1.24%

Eggs

$2.07 R 33.47

$2.59 MX$44.51

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 R 126

$8.26 MX$142

-5.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 R 73.4

$8.37 MX$144

-45.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.78 R 93.4

$10.66 MX$183

-45.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.22

$2.63 MX$45.12

-42.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 25.87

$1.49 MX$25.53

7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.70

$1.92 MX$32.94

-23.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.26

$2.09 MX$35.81

-25.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 R 18.95

$1.86 MX$31.88

-37.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.77

$2.26 MX$38.81

-46.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.42

$1.06 MX$18.23

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.43

$1.09 MX$18.67

-23.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 R 45.01

$4.15 MX$71.2

-33.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.00 R 48.49

$10.39 MX$178

-71.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 19.04

$1.72 MX$29.59

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 R 19.87

$2.61 MX$44.85

-52.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 R 45.45

$0.54 MX$9.30

420.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 R 1,846

$26.94 MX$462

323.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.25

$3.13 MX$53.7

-55.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 R 21.48

$2.51 MX$43.09

-47.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 R 51.0

$3.15 MX$54.1

0.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.37

$1.27 MX$21.88

-0.79%

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

$19.2K R 310.8K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-36.71%

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

$26.4K R 426.7K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

12.00%

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

$123 R 1,994

$83.0 MX$1,425

48.60%

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

$37.65 R 609

$22.71 MX$390

65.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.90 R 613

$29.46 MX$506

28.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.61 R 608

$51.0 MX$875

-26.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 R 222

$18.33 MX$315

-25.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 R 91.1

$4.93 MX$84.5

14.20%

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

$139 R 2,243

$197 MX$3,386

-29.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,654 R 26.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-68.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.22 R 796

$36.90 MX$633

33.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.59 R 478

$39.89 MX$685

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 R 1,390

$80.0 MX$1,373

7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 R 1,412

$89.5 MX$1,536

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 R 6,657

$956 MX$16.4K

-56.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 R 4,922

$477 MX$8,189

-36.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R 13.7K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-48.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 R 11.5K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-41.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$886 R 14.3K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-77.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$701 R 11.3K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-89.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,140 R 34.6K

$667 MX$11.4K

220.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

11.42

2.36%

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

Last update for Alberton: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $412 in Alberton and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 221% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Alberton vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $250 per month, with Alberton cheaper across the board.

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

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

Alberton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Alberton pays 221% more on average, 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: $412 in Alberton versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alberton – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,091 in Alberton versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alberton but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Alberton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alberton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alberton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.