Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Elbasan: $887 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Elbasan
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Elbasan Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Elbasan

🇦🇱 Albania

$887

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $887 per month in Elbasan vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Elbasan $887
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Elbasan vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Elbasan $1,399
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Elbasan vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Elbasan $1,912
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Elbasan is about 26% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Elbasan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Elbasan 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 ALL 802

$10.67 MX$200

-6.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.83 ALL 2,967

$43.80 MX$823

-15.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 ALL 544

$11.79 MX$221

-42.66%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ALL 138

$3.79 MX$71.1

-54.62%

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

$1.40 ALL 113

$1.30 MX$24.36

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.7

$0.83 MX$15.65

-21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ALL 172

$3.15 MX$59.1

-32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ALL 220

$4.93 MX$92.7

-44.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ALL 153

$1.41 MX$26.46

34.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ALL 75.4

$2.20 MX$41.23

-57.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ALL 127

$1.47 MX$27.66

6.80%

Eggs

$2.60 ALL 210

$2.50 MX$46.89

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 ALL 832

$7.29 MX$137

41.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 ALL 476

$7.95 MX$149

-25.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 ALL 910

$12.86 MX$242

-12.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 96.8

$2.90 MX$54.4

-58.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ALL 182

$1.38 MX$25.98

63.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 112

$2.49 MX$46.78

-44.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ALL 91.6

$2.03 MX$38.12

-43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 ALL 80.2

$2.02 MX$38.03

-50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 83.8

$1.90 MX$35.74

-45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ALL 66.6

$1.14 MX$21.49

-27.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ALL 53.5

$1.24 MX$23.27

-46.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 ALL 350

$4.27 MX$80.2

1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 ALL 492

$9.81 MX$184

-37.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ALL 82.3

$1.59 MX$29.78

-35.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ALL 145

$2.75 MX$51.6

-34.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ALL 38.21

$0.51 MX$9.67

-7.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.64 ALL 1,582

$27.39 MX$514

-28.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 290

$4.76 MX$89.4

-24.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 ALL 117

$3.25 MX$61.0

-55.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.57 ALL 1,174

$5.39 MX$101

170.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 ALL 172

$1.53 MX$28.70

39.87%

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

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

$21.2K MX$398.4K

37.70%

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

$29.3K ALL 2.4M

$23.3K MX$436.9K

25.84%

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

$61.7 ALL 4,970

$83.5 MX$1,568

-26.11%

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

$15.34 ALL 1,236

$23.19 MX$435

-33.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.08 ALL 973

$27.61 MX$519

-56.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 ALL 4,671

$56.4 MX$1,060

2.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 ALL 1,372

$28.19 MX$529

-39.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 ALL 355

$5.00 MX$93.9

-11.80%

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

$142 ALL 11.4K

$207 MX$3,889

-31.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,886 ALL 151.9K

$5,231 MX$98.2K

-63.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ALL 5,856

$43.45 MX$816

67.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 ALL 3,547

$42.54 MX$799

3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 ALL 7,522

$72.8 MX$1,367

28.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ALL 7,767

$88.4 MX$1,660

9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 ALL 23.9K

$995 MX$18.7K

-70.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 ALL 16.8K

$382 MX$7,181

-45.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ALL 35.1K

$1,674 MX$31.4K

-74.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ALL 25.5K

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-70.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,377 ALL 111.0K

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-64.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$870 ALL 70.1K

$6,138 MX$115.3K

-85.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 ALL 50.4K

$832 MX$15.6K

-24.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.45

-46.72%

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

Last update for Elbasan: November 2, 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

Elbasan

$208 23.5%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 83.5% $174

Groceries & Markets

Elbasan

$208 23.4%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 24.1% $50

Eating Out

Elbasan

$145 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 38.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Elbasan

$138 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 19.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elbasan

$89 10.1%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 50.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Elbasan

$67 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Elbasan

$32 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 55.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Elbasan 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 run about 33% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Elbasan versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $257 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Elbasan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

6 h behind Elbasan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,703

149,923

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.11 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 80.56 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.44 ALL (100 ALL = 1.11 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Elbasan Playa del Carmen 9,860 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Elbasan
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,331 per month in Elbasan and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $297 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Elbasan and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $887, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Elbasan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.