Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albox and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Albox and in Playa del Carmen: $1,185 and $1,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

Albox, Spain
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Albox
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,185
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Albox vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Albox $1,185
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,738 per month in Albox vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Albox $1,738
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,291 per month in Albox vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Albox $2,291
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Albox and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Albox and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Albox 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.27 €11.87
$10.67 MX$199
24.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.30 €29.78
$43.80 MX$815
-23.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.09 €9.03
$11.79 MX$219
-14.42%
Cappuccino
$2.22 €1.98
$3.79 MX$70.5
-41.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 €1.46
$1.30 MX$24.14
25.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$0.83 MX$15.51
63.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.73 €2.44
$3.15 MX$58.6
-13.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 €2.47
$4.93 MX$91.8
-44.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.01
$1.41 MX$26.22
-20.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 €1.02
$2.20 MX$40.86
-48.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.47 MX$27.40
-21.09%
Eggs
$2.80 €2.50
$2.50 MX$46.46
12.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.81 €10.56
$7.29 MX$136
62.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.39 €6.61
$7.95 MX$148
-7.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.35 €12.83
$12.86 MX$239
11.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$2.90 MX$53.9
-28.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.38 MX$25.74
13.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.15 €1.03
$2.49 MX$46.35
-53.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.88
$2.03 MX$37.77
3.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 €0.99
$2.02 MX$37.68
-45.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.90 MX$35.42
-40.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 €0.82
$1.14 MX$21.30
-20.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 €0.38
$1.24 MX$23.05
-66.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.83 €5.21
$4.27 MX$79.5
36.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.67 €3.28
$9.81 MX$183
-62.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.59 MX$29.51
-40.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$2.75 MX$51.1
-68.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.56 €1.39
$0.51 MX$9.58
205.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.31 €28.00
$27.39 MX$510
14.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.00 €3.58
$4.76 MX$88.6
-15.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.03 €2.71
$3.25 MX$60.5
-6.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.16 €30.54
$5.39 MX$100
533.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.53 MX$28.44
9.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K €31.4K
$21.2K MX$394.8K
65.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.1K €26.0K
$23.3K MX$432.9K
24.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.3 €63.7
$83.5 MX$1,554
-14.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.19 €8.22
$23.19 MX$431
-60.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.49 €21.01
$27.61 MX$514
-14.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.89 €37.46
$56.4 MX$1,050
-25.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.87 €14.19
$28.19 MX$525
-43.70%
Cinema Ticket
$7.19 €6.43
$5.00 MX$93.1
43.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 €441
$207 MX$3,854
137.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,351 €7,468
$5,231 MX$97.3K
59.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.60 €29.15
$43.45 MX$809
-24.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.22 €18.97
$42.54 MX$792
-50.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.0 €58.1
$72.8 MX$1,354
-10.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.5 €60.3
$88.4 MX$1,645
-23.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$609 €544
$995 MX$18.5K
-38.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$474 €424
$382 MX$7,116
23.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$947 €847
$1,674 MX$31.2K
-43.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$666 €595
$1,081 MX$20.1K
-38.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,261 €2,916
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-16.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 €2,004
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-63.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Albox
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,864 €2,561
$832 MX$15.5K
244.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
11.45
-74.67%

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

Last update for Albox: November 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Albox
$474
Playa del Carmen
$382 19.3% $91
Groceries & Markets
Albox
$217
Playa del Carmen
$257 18.8% $41
Eating Out
Albox
$194
Playa del Carmen
$200 3.1% $6.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Albox
$104
Playa del Carmen
$134 29.2% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Albox
$84
Playa del Carmen
$111 32.7% $27
Getting Around
Albox
$57
Playa del Carmen
$50 11% $6.2
Sport & Entertainment
Albox
$56
Playa del Carmen
$66 18.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $609 in Albox versus $995 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.

Salaries in Albox are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Albox versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $257 – making Albox the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Albox
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
23:29 11:29 PM
17:29 5:29 PM
6 h behind Albox
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,311
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Albox Playa del Carmen 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Albox
  • 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
Albox vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Albox and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Albox and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Albox or Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Albox, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $609 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
Are groceries more expensive in Albox or in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do childcare costs compare in Albox and in Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Albox and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Albox or in Playa del Carmen?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,185 in Albox and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Albox or Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,185 in Albox to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Albox vs other spots: cost of living compared

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