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: $1,046 in Durres versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in Durres versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,150 in Durres versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Durres costs roughly 18% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Durres 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.49 ALL 776

$11.87 MX$204

-20.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 ALL 2,838

$42.90 MX$736

-19.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 ALL 574

$10.65 MX$183

-34.08%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ALL 153

$3.45 MX$59.2

-45.80%

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

$1.59 ALL 130

$1.50 MX$25.81

6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ALL 68.1

$0.95 MX$16.28

-12.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ALL 191

$3.03 MX$51.9

-23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ALL 270

$4.61 MX$79.1

-28.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ALL 162

$1.38 MX$23.61

44.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 ALL 74.3

$1.85 MX$31.70

-50.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ALL 166

$1.61 MX$27.65

26.09%

Eggs

$2.95 ALL 241

$2.59 MX$44.51

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 ALL 859

$8.26 MX$142

27.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 ALL 636

$8.37 MX$144

-7.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.40 ALL 1,094

$10.66 MX$183

25.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 94.3

$2.63 MX$45.12

-56.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 ALL 193

$1.49 MX$25.53

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 106

$1.92 MX$32.94

-32.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 97.7

$2.09 MX$35.81

-42.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 89.2

$1.86 MX$31.88

-41.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 84.7

$2.26 MX$38.81

-53.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ALL 93.7

$1.06 MX$18.23

8.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ALL 52.2

$1.09 MX$18.67

-41.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ALL 341

$4.15 MX$71.2

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ALL 892

$10.39 MX$178

5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ALL 136

$1.72 MX$29.59

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ALL 148

$2.61 MX$44.85

-30.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ALL 37.36

$0.54 MX$9.30

-14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.43 ALL 1,506

$26.94 MX$462

-31.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ALL 296

$3.13 MX$53.7

15.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ALL 167

$2.51 MX$43.09

-18.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.71 ALL 1,447

$3.15 MX$54.1

462.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 ALL 180

$1.27 MX$21.88

73.23%

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

$15.2K ALL 1.2M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-49.87%

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

$25.5K ALL 2.1M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

8.20%

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

$67.9 ALL 5,548

$83.0 MX$1,425

-18.18%

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

$17.82 ALL 1,456

$22.71 MX$390

-21.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.72 ALL 1,284

$29.46 MX$506

-46.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 ALL 3,025

$51.0 MX$875

-27.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.5 ALL 4,857

$18.33 MX$315

224.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 ALL 585

$4.93 MX$84.5

45.23%

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

$179 ALL 14.6K

$197 MX$3,386

-9.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,380 ALL 357.8K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-17.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.91 ALL 3,097

$36.90 MX$633

2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 ALL 3,257

$39.89 MX$685

-0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 ALL 6,910

$80.0 MX$1,373

5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 ALL 12.7K

$89.5 MX$1,536

74.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ALL 34.9K

$956 MX$16.4K

-55.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ALL 25.4K

$477 MX$8,189

-34.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 ALL 50.2K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-62.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 ALL 34.6K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-65.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,812 ALL 148.1K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-53.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ALL 94.4K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-82.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ALL 68.1K

$667 MX$11.4K

25.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.42

-53.33%

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

Last update for Durres: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Durres and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Durres vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $250 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 21% 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.

Durres pays 25% 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: $427 in Durres versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,046 per month in Durres versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,046 in Durres versus $1,271 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 $1,046 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.