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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,579 in Elblag versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,196 in Elblag versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,814 in Elblag versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Elblag is roughly 25% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elblag is 19% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 zł 41.00

$11.72 MX$203

-6.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.86 zł 112

$41.89 MX$727

-28.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 zł 28.93

$10.51 MX$182

-26.36%

Cappuccino

$4.16 zł 15.55

$3.59 MX$62.2

15.88%

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

$2.14 zł 8.01

$1.51 MX$26.16

41.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 zł 6.79

$0.92 MX$15.87

97.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 zł 12.52

$2.96 MX$51.3

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 zł 17.60

$4.41 MX$76.5

6.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 zł 4.29

$1.40 MX$24.21

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 zł 5.15

$1.88 MX$32.68

-26.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.56

$1.56 MX$27.03

12.82%

Eggs

$3.60 zł 13.45

$2.61 MX$45.25

37.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 zł 38.59

$8.32 MX$144

24.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.19 zł 26.85

$8.35 MX$145

-13.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 zł 53.8

$10.86 MX$188

32.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 zł 4.88

$2.71 MX$47.04

-51.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 zł 6.87

$1.51 MX$26.11

21.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 zł 7.59

$1.87 MX$32.49

8.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 zł 14.11

$2.19 MX$37.98

72.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 zł 3.90

$1.86 MX$32.21

-44.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 zł 4.40

$2.23 MX$38.68

-47.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 zł 5.48

$1.07 MX$18.53

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 zł 2.72

$1.09 MX$18.84

-33.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 zł 16.80

$4.19 MX$72.6

7.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.68 zł 24.94

$10.43 MX$181

-35.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 zł 5.17

$1.66 MX$28.75

-16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 zł 7.24

$2.61 MX$45.30

-25.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 zł 4.14

$0.54 MX$9.39

105.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.55 zł 95.4

$26.16 MX$454

-2.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 zł 10.07

$3.08 MX$53.4

-12.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 zł 3.67

$2.40 MX$41.71

-59.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.78 zł 51.5

$3.13 MX$54.2

340.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 zł 6.62

$1.31 MX$22.74

35.11%

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

$32.3K zł 120.9K

$29.8K MX$517.0K

8.52%

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

$27.2K zł 101.8K

$23.3K MX$404.5K

16.78%

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

$360 zł 1,343

$81.3 MX$1,410

342.41%

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

$10.12 zł 37.82

$22.56 MX$391

-55.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.86 zł 55.5

$30.05 MX$521

-50.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.03 zł 131

$52.9 MX$918

-33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.40 zł 50.1

$18.39 MX$319

-27.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 zł 23.62

$4.92 MX$85.3

28.46%

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

$584 zł 2,181

$201 MX$3,483

190.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,080 zł 7,770

$5,175 MX$89.7K

-59.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.5 zł 372

$35.92 MX$623

177.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 zł 179

$40.13 MX$696

19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 zł 349

$79.7 MX$1,382

17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 zł 410

$86.5 MX$1,500

26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 zł 2,582

$978 MX$17.0K

-29.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 zł 1,856

$470 MX$8,160

5.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 zł 3,715

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-39.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 zł 3,042

$1,203 MX$20.9K

-32.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,224 zł 8,309

$3,953 MX$68.6K

-43.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,251 zł 8,410

$6,607 MX$114.6K

-65.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,362 zł 5,089

$677 MX$11.7K

101.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-38.70%

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

Last update for Elblag: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $691 in Elblag and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 101% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Elblag vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $252 per month, with Elblag 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 101% higher in Elblag, 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: $691 in Elblag versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Elblag pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $30.00 in Elblag. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,579 in Elblag, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Elblag. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Elblag, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Elblag and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Elblag. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.