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: $1,043 in Durres versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Durres versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,103 in Durres versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Durres costs roughly 17% 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

$9.48 ALL 766

$11.72 MX$203

-19.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.56 ALL 2,874

$41.89 MX$726

-15.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 ALL 587

$10.51 MX$182

-30.83%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ALL 158

$3.59 MX$62.1

-45.40%

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

$1.58 ALL 127

$1.51 MX$26.13

4.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ALL 63.7

$0.92 MX$15.86

-14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ALL 196

$2.96 MX$51.2

-17.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ALL 270

$4.41 MX$76.4

-24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 165

$1.40 MX$24.19

46.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ALL 74.0

$1.88 MX$32.65

-51.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ALL 163

$1.56 MX$27.01

28.85%

Eggs

$3.01 ALL 243

$2.61 MX$45.20

15.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ALL 847

$8.32 MX$144

25.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 ALL 618

$8.35 MX$145

-8.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 ALL 1,061

$10.86 MX$188

20.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ALL 93.6

$2.71 MX$47.00

-57.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 ALL 197

$1.51 MX$26.08

61.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ALL 104

$1.87 MX$32.46

-31.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 92.6

$2.19 MX$37.94

-47.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 ALL 88.8

$1.86 MX$32.18

-40.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.2

$2.23 MX$38.64

-55.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ALL 92.8

$1.07 MX$18.51

7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.5

$1.09 MX$18.82

-43.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ALL 333

$4.19 MX$72.5

-1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 ALL 889

$10.43 MX$181

5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ALL 134

$1.66 MX$28.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ALL 147

$2.61 MX$45.26

-30.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.77

$0.54 MX$9.39

-9.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.09 ALL 1,461

$26.16 MX$453

-30.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 291

$3.08 MX$53.3

16.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 ALL 171

$2.40 MX$41.66

-12.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.45 ALL 1,410

$3.13 MX$54.2

457.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 170

$1.31 MX$22.72

61.07%

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

$15.4K ALL 1.2M

$29.8K MX$516.4K

-48.18%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$23.3K MX$404.1K

10.25%

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

$68.3 ALL 5,516

$81.3 MX$1,408

-16.01%

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

$17.80 ALL 1,439

$22.56 MX$391

-21.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.74 ALL 1,272

$30.05 MX$521

-47.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.70 ALL 3,046

$52.9 MX$917

-28.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 ALL 4,758

$18.39 MX$319

220.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 ALL 568

$4.92 MX$85.2

42.89%

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

$174 ALL 14.1K

$201 MX$3,479

-13.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,370 ALL 353.1K

$5,175 MX$89.7K

-15.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 ALL 3,142

$35.92 MX$622

8.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ALL 3,216

$40.13 MX$695

-0.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 ALL 6,906

$79.7 MX$1,381

7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 ALL 12.7K

$86.5 MX$1,498

82.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ALL 33.6K

$978 MX$16.9K

-57.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ALL 26.0K

$470 MX$8,152

-31.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ALL 47.9K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-64.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 ALL 34.2K

$1,203 MX$20.9K

-64.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,792 ALL 144.8K

$3,953 MX$68.5K

-54.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ALL 93.4K

$6,607 MX$114.5K

-82.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ALL 76.7K

$677 MX$11.7K

40.31%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Durres and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Durres vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $252 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.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $415 in Durres versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,043 per month in Durres versus $1,260 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,043 in Durres versus $1,260 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 $1,043 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.