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: $1,053 in Durres versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Durres versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Durres versus $3,082 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 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.39 ALL 767

$11.94 MX$209

-21.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.05 ALL 2,862

$42.75 MX$748

-18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 ALL 586

$10.59 MX$185

-32.20%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ALL 157

$3.62 MX$63.4

-46.96%

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

$1.62 ALL 132

$1.47 MX$25.69

10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ALL 68.3

$0.94 MX$16.51

-10.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ALL 191

$3.09 MX$54.1

-24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ALL 275

$4.46 MX$78.0

-24.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ALL 165

$1.43 MX$24.94

41.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ALL 70.6

$1.88 MX$32.97

-54.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 ALL 158

$1.63 MX$28.50

18.40%

Eggs

$2.94 ALL 240

$2.64 MX$46.26

11.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ALL 851

$8.21 MX$144

26.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 ALL 635

$8.29 MX$145

-6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 ALL 1,076

$11.10 MX$194

18.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ALL 97.5

$2.65 MX$46.40

-55.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 ALL 191

$1.50 MX$26.26

56.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 106

$1.99 MX$34.79

-34.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ALL 93.5

$2.08 MX$36.33

-45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 ALL 90.4

$1.79 MX$31.29

-37.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.5

$2.18 MX$38.09

-54.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ALL 92.6

$1.08 MX$18.84

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.7

$1.04 MX$18.15

-40.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ALL 326

$3.97 MX$69.5

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 ALL 920

$10.20 MX$179

10.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ALL 137

$1.73 MX$30.22

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ALL 143

$2.50 MX$43.71

-30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 36.74

$0.52 MX$9.07

-13.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.03 ALL 1,472

$26.97 MX$472

-33.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ALL 292

$3.14 MX$55.0

13.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 ALL 174

$2.40 MX$42.04

-11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.76 ALL 1,450

$3.09 MX$54.0

474.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 ALL 180

$1.27 MX$22.28

74.02%

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

$15.4K ALL 1.3M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-50.13%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

10.42%

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

$66.3 ALL 5,414

$82.0 MX$1,435

-19.14%

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

$17.73 ALL 1,447

$22.45 MX$393

-21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.07 ALL 1,312

$29.66 MX$519

-45.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 ALL 3,048

$51.9 MX$908

-28.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.1 ALL 4,903

$18.67 MX$327

221.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 ALL 593

$4.97 MX$87.0

46.08%

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

$180 ALL 14.7K

$198 MX$3,462

-8.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,417 ALL 360.6K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-16.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.32 ALL 3,128

$36.34 MX$636

5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 ALL 3,251

$40.05 MX$701

-0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ALL 6,856

$79.9 MX$1,398

5.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ALL 12.5K

$88.9 MX$1,555

72.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 ALL 34.8K

$963 MX$16.9K

-55.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ALL 25.8K

$465 MX$8,133

-32.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ALL 48.9K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 ALL 34.5K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-65.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,824 ALL 149.0K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-53.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 ALL 93.2K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-82.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 ALL 68.9K

$720 MX$12.6K

17.22%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Durres and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 17% 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 $241 vs $251 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 22% 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 17% 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: $426 in Durres versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,053 per month in Durres versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,053 in Durres versus $1,287 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 $1,053 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 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.