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: $1,081 in Alberton versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,746 in Alberton versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,410 in Alberton versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Alberton costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alberton 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.65 R 145

$11.94 MX$209

-27.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.78 R 566

$42.75 MX$748

-20.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 R 74.6

$10.59 MX$185

-57.98%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 34.38

$3.62 MX$63.4

-43.37%

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

$1.02 R 17.06

$1.47 MX$25.69

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.86

$0.94 MX$16.51

-5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 R 38.21

$3.09 MX$54.1

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 36.64

$4.46 MX$78.0

-51.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R 18.29

$1.43 MX$24.94

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.63

$1.88 MX$32.97

-44.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.37

$1.63 MX$28.50

Eggs

$2.09 R 35.09

$2.64 MX$46.26

-20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.66 R 128

$8.21 MX$144

-6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 R 75.9

$8.29 MX$145

-45.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.84 R 98.0

$11.10 MX$194

-47.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.28

$2.65 MX$46.40

-40.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.13

$1.50 MX$26.26

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.47

$1.99 MX$34.79

-26.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R 25.22

$2.08 MX$36.33

-27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.78

$1.79 MX$31.29

-34.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.68

$2.18 MX$38.09

-46.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 18.42

$1.08 MX$18.84

1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 15.04

$1.04 MX$18.15

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 R 45.66

$3.97 MX$69.5

-31.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.04 R 51.0

$10.20 MX$179

-70.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R 20.51

$1.73 MX$30.22

-29.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 R 20.90

$2.50 MX$43.71

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 R 47.21

$0.52 MX$9.07

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 R 1,862

$26.97 MX$472

311.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 23.14

$3.14 MX$55.0

-56.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 R 22.03

$2.40 MX$42.04

-45.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 R 50.4

$3.09 MX$54.0

-2.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.47

$1.27 MX$22.28

-3.94%

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

$19.3K R 323.0K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-37.63%

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

$25.9K R 434.7K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

11.17%

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

$124 R 2,076

$82.0 MX$1,435

50.97%

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

$37.76 R 633

$22.45 MX$393

68.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.82 R 651

$29.66 MX$519

30.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.41 R 627

$51.9 MX$908

-27.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 R 230

$18.67 MX$327

-26.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 R 95.9

$4.97 MX$87.0

15.09%

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

$139 R 2,337

$198 MX$3,462

-29.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,697 R 28.5K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-67.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.47 R 830

$36.34 MX$636

36.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 R 503

$40.05 MX$701

-25.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 R 1,479

$79.9 MX$1,398

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 R 1,504

$88.9 MX$1,555

0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 R 6,810

$963 MX$16.9K

-57.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 R 5,116

$465 MX$8,133

-34.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R 14.2K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-47.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 R 11.5K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-43.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$729 R 12.2K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-81.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$603 R 10.1K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-90.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,134 R 35.8K

$720 MX$12.6K

196.25%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Alberton and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 196% 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 $166 vs $251 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Alberton pays 196% 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: $406 in Alberton versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% 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 $1,081 in Alberton versus $1,287 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.