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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $919 per month in Elbasan vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,443 per month in Elbasan vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,967 per month in Elbasan vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Elbasan is about 28% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Elbasan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Elbasan 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.64 ALL 787

$11.87 MX$204

-18.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 ALL 2,624

$42.90 MX$736

-25.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 ALL 589

$10.65 MX$183

-32.30%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ALL 146

$3.45 MX$59.2

-48.12%

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

$1.29 ALL 105

$1.50 MX$25.81

-14.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ALL 55.9

$0.95 MX$16.28

-28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ALL 146

$3.03 MX$51.9

-40.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ALL 198

$4.61 MX$79.1

-47.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ALL 150

$1.38 MX$23.61

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ALL 76.3

$1.85 MX$31.70

-49.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ALL 128

$1.61 MX$27.65

-3.11%

Eggs

$3.04 ALL 249

$2.59 MX$44.51

17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ALL 821

$8.26 MX$142

21.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 ALL 426

$8.37 MX$144

-37.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 ALL 992

$10.66 MX$183

13.88%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 ALL 69.5

$2.63 MX$45.12

-67.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ALL 202

$1.49 MX$25.53

66.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ALL 102

$1.92 MX$32.94

-34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 ALL 79.0

$2.09 MX$35.81

-53.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ALL 78.1

$1.86 MX$31.88

-48.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 88.8

$2.26 MX$38.81

-51.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ALL 73.5

$1.06 MX$18.23

-15.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ALL 46.46

$1.09 MX$18.67

-47.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ALL 323

$4.15 MX$71.2

-4.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 ALL 629

$10.39 MX$178

-25.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ALL 73.6

$1.72 MX$29.59

-47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ALL 123

$2.61 MX$44.85

-42.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 39.39

$0.54 MX$9.30

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 ALL 1,567

$26.94 MX$462

-28.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ALL 283

$3.13 MX$53.7

10.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ALL 101

$2.51 MX$43.09

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ALL 1,136

$3.15 MX$54.1

341.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 172

$1.27 MX$21.88

66.14%

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

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-30.75%

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

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

15.24%

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

$68.5 ALL 5,596

$83.0 MX$1,425

-17.48%

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

$17.59 ALL 1,437

$22.71 MX$390

-22.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.13 ALL 1,236

$29.46 MX$506

-48.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 ALL 5,392

$51.0 MX$875

29.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.22 ALL 1,325

$18.33 MX$315

-11.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ALL 469

$4.93 MX$84.5

16.43%

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

$142 ALL 11.6K

$197 MX$3,386

-27.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-66.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ALL 3,804

$36.90 MX$633

26.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 ALL 2,827

$39.89 MX$685

-13.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 ALL 7,650

$80.0 MX$1,373

17.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 ALL 14.5K

$89.5 MX$1,536

98.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 ALL 23.2K

$956 MX$16.4K

-70.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ALL 16.0K

$477 MX$8,189

-58.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ALL 34.5K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-74.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ALL 24.2K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-75.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-65.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$862 ALL 70.5K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-86.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 ALL 43.8K

$667 MX$11.4K

-19.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.42

-46.58%

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

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $284 in Elbasan versus $956 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 24% 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 $32.00 in Elbasan versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $250 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 38%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,378 per month in Elbasan and $1,906 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Elbasan and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.