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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,179 in Durres versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,788 in Durres versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,396 in Durres versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Durres costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durres 14% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 ALL 840

$11.60 MX$199

-8.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.30 ALL 3,037

$47.11 MX$809

-18.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 ALL 833

$11.88 MX$204

-11.62%

Cappuccino

$2.08 ALL 165

$3.98 MX$68.2

-47.74%

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

$2.05 ALL 162

$1.43 MX$24.49

43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ALL 81.5

$0.82 MX$14.16

25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ALL 248

$3.19 MX$54.7

-1.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ALL 357

$6.79 MX$117

-33.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ALL 175

$1.68 MX$28.76

30.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ALL 86.8

$2.20 MX$37.71

-50.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 ALL 189

$1.71 MX$29.32

39.18%

Eggs

$3.97 ALL 315

$2.74 MX$47.05

44.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.95 ALL 1,027

$9.58 MX$164

35.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 ALL 629

$9.01 MX$155

-11.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 ALL 1,193

$12.81 MX$220

17.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ALL 93.5

$2.89 MX$49.58

-59.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 ALL 194

$1.50 MX$25.70

63.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ALL 126

$2.15 MX$36.87

-26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ALL 106

$2.26 MX$38.79

-40.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ALL 69.2

$1.98 MX$34.00

-56.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ALL 76.1

$1.99 MX$34.15

-51.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ALL 101

$1.23 MX$21.18

3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 57.0

$1.20 MX$20.54

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ALL 351

$4.55 MX$78.1

-2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 ALL 907

$10.37 MX$178

10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 ALL 120

$1.62 MX$27.79

-6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ALL 166

$2.88 MX$49.44

-27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ALL 41.43

$0.60 MX$10.30

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.12 ALL 1,516

$28.80 MX$494

-33.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 ALL 300

$5.39 MX$92.5

-29.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 ALL 202

$3.73 MX$64.0

-31.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 ALL 179

$1.54 MX$26.37

46.75%

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

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

$22.5K MX$387.0K

-28.67%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

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

$98.0 ALL 7,773

$91.4 MX$1,569

7.29%

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

$17.04 ALL 1,351

$25.20 MX$433

-32.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.04 ALL 1,351

$31.24 MX$536

-45.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.99 ALL 3,329

$67.2 MX$1,154

-37.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.9 ALL 4,907

$29.11 MX$500

112.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ALL 595

$4.86 MX$83.5

54.53%

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

$188 ALL 14.9K

$224 MX$3,839

-16.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,691 ALL 372.0K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

10.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.91 ALL 3,164

$47.10 MX$808

-15.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 ALL 3,320

$44.29 MX$760

-5.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 ALL 7,196

$80.1 MX$1,375

13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 ALL 13.1K

$92.7 MX$1,591

78.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ALL 36.4K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-56.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ALL 27.1K

$390 MX$6,698

-12.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ALL 56.8K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-66.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ALL 37.4K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-62.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,835 ALL 145.5K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-54.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,155 ALL 91.6K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-82.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$969 ALL 76.8K

$758 MX$13.0K

27.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.45

-54.15%

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

Last update for Durres: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Durres and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Durres vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $276 per month, with Durres 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

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

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Durres, 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: $459 in Durres versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,179 per month in Durres versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,179 in Durres versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,179 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.