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: $1,463 in Elblag versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,095 in Elblag versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,727 in Elblag versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Elblag is roughly 16% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elblag is 7% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.59 zł 47.88

$11.60 MX$200

8.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.33 zł 108

$47.11 MX$812

-39.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 zł 29.10

$11.88 MX$205

-35.61%

Cappuccino

$3.71 zł 14.13

$3.98 MX$68.6

-6.78%

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

$2.24 zł 8.53

$1.43 MX$24.60

56.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 zł 6.49

$0.82 MX$14.22

108.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 zł 11.87

$3.19 MX$55.0

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 zł 14.97

$6.79 MX$117

-41.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 zł 4.12

$1.68 MX$28.89

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 zł 6.41

$2.20 MX$37.88

-23.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 zł 3.76

$1.71 MX$29.45

-42.11%

Eggs

$3.87 zł 14.70

$2.74 MX$47.26

41.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 zł 34.48

$9.58 MX$165

-5.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 zł 28.77

$9.01 MX$155

-15.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 zł 46.13

$12.81 MX$221

-5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 zł 5.35

$2.89 MX$49.81

-51.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 zł 6.82

$1.50 MX$25.81

19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 zł 6.10

$2.15 MX$37.03

-25.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 zł 12.75

$2.26 MX$38.96

48.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 zł 3.19

$1.98 MX$34.15

-57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.39

$1.99 MX$34.30

-28.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 zł 4.62

$1.23 MX$21.28

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 zł 2.07

$1.20 MX$20.63

-55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 zł 16.40

$4.55 MX$78.5

-5.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 zł 25.73

$10.37 MX$179

-34.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 zł 2.10

$1.62 MX$27.91

-66.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 zł 5.58

$2.88 MX$49.67

-48.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 zł 4.07

$0.60 MX$10.35

78.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.61 zł 97.4

$28.80 MX$497

-11.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 zł 8.80

$5.39 MX$92.9

-57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 zł 3.31

$3.73 MX$64.3

-76.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.57 zł 40.19

$5.77 MX$99.5

83.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 zł 6.02

$1.54 MX$26.48

2.60%

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

$32.4K zł 123.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

43.49%

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

$26.6K zł 101.2K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

2.15%

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

$269 zł 1,024

$91.4 MX$1,576

194.59%

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

$8.41 zł 31.99

$25.20 MX$435

-66.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.80 zł 56.3

$31.24 MX$539

-52.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.27 zł 165

$67.2 MX$1,159

-35.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.78 zł 86.6

$29.11 MX$502

-21.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 zł 21.16

$4.86 MX$83.8

14.40%

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

$342 zł 1,301

$224 MX$3,856

53.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,976 zł 7,514

$4,229 MX$72.9K

-53.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 zł 317

$47.10 MX$812

77.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.01 zł 148

$44.29 MX$764

-11.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 zł 349

$80.1 MX$1,381

14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 zł 394

$92.7 MX$1,598

11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 zł 2,372

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-41.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 zł 2,016

$390 MX$6,728

35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 zł 3,689

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-54.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 zł 3,113

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-35.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,250 zł 8,556

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-43.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 zł 9,006

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-63.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,358 zł 5,165

$758 MX$13.1K

79.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

11.45

-39.83%

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

Last update for Elblag: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $624 in Elblag and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 79% 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: $28.00 in Elblag vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $276 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 Clothing & Footwear. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% 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: $624 in Elblag versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Elblag pay roughly 22% 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 $47.00 versus $28.00 in Elblag. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,463 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 16% less than in Elblag. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.