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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,042 in Albion versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Albion versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,692 in Albion versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Albion costs roughly 17% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Albion 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 MUR 313

$11.99 MX$210

-44.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 MUR 2,108

$41.78 MX$733

7.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 MUR 308

$10.75 MX$189

-38.98%

Cappuccino

$1.53 MUR 71.7

$3.50 MX$61.3

-56.29%

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

$1.00 MUR 47.17

$1.45 MX$25.41

-31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MUR 28.15

$0.88 MX$15.52

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 MUR 94.2

$2.95 MX$51.7

-31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MUR 123

$4.51 MX$79.1

-42.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MUR 70.8

$1.43 MX$25.12

5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 MUR 24.84

$1.84 MX$32.23

-71.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MUR 61.7

$1.57 MX$27.51

-16.56%

Eggs

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.51 MX$44.06

-9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.85 MUR 557

$8.28 MX$145

43.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 MUR 256

$8.43 MX$148

-35.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.38 MUR 394

$10.68 MX$187

-21.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 MUR 75.2

$2.61 MX$45.76

-38.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MUR 64.4

$1.44 MX$25.22

-4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 67.3

$1.96 MX$34.41

-27.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MUR 95.4

$2.09 MX$36.74

-2.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MUR 41.89

$1.85 MX$32.47

-51.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 MUR 30.18

$2.17 MX$38.02

-70.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 MUR 30.36

$1.03 MX$18.09

-36.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 MUR 14.94

$1.07 MX$18.84

-70.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 MUR 293

$4.10 MX$72.0

51.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 MUR 375

$10.17 MX$178

-21.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MUR 84.2

$1.68 MX$29.38

6.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MUR 105

$2.53 MX$44.31

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 MUR 52.8

$0.51 MX$8.93

119.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.79 MUR 2,104

$26.04 MX$457

72.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 MUR 209

$3.23 MX$56.7

37.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 MUR 125

$2.41 MX$42.19

10.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.58 MUR 920

$3.23 MX$56.6

506.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MUR 67.5

$1.32 MX$23.17

9.09%

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

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

18.75%

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

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

24.20%

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

$49.88 MUR 2,343

$82.0 MX$1,439

-39.18%

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

$18.37 MUR 863

$22.95 MX$403

-19.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.18 MUR 1,606

$30.11 MX$528

13.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 MUR 3,369

$52.0 MX$912

37.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 MUR 288

$4.98 MX$87.3

23.09%

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

$157 MUR 7,378

$197 MX$3,463

-20.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,017 MUR 188.7K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-24.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MUR 2,548

$35.60 MX$624

52.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.73 MUR 2,054

$40.33 MX$707

8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 MUR 3,653

$78.8 MX$1,381

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 MUR 4,170

$88.9 MX$1,560

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 MUR 23.8K

$947 MX$16.6K

-46.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 MUR 16.7K

$474 MX$8,314

-25.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 MUR 45.3K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-41.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 MUR 51.0K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-10.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.42

-41.59%

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

Last update for Albion: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Albion and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Albion vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $249, with Albion cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Albion and Playa del Carmen differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,042 vs $1,256 including rent). Albion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,563 in Albion and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $507 in Albion versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Albion runs roughly 72% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $157 in Albion versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,042 in Albion versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albion but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Albion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Albion 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 Albion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.