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: $1,547 in Elblag versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,223 in Elblag versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,900 in Elblag versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Elblag is roughly 22% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elblag is 15% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.91 zł 39.87

$11.87 MX$204

-8.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.42 zł 108

$42.90 MX$736

-31.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 zł 28.09

$10.65 MX$183

-27.79%

Cappuccino

$4.31 zł 15.75

$3.45 MX$59.2

24.93%

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

$2.11 zł 7.71

$1.50 MX$25.81

40.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 zł 6.98

$0.95 MX$16.28

101.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 zł 11.99

$3.03 MX$51.9

8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 zł 17.29

$4.61 MX$79.1

2.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 zł 4.32

$1.38 MX$23.61

-14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 zł 5.20

$1.85 MX$31.70

-23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 zł 6.47

$1.61 MX$27.65

9.94%

Eggs

$3.63 zł 13.28

$2.59 MX$44.51

40.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 zł 37.62

$8.26 MX$142

24.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 zł 25.14

$8.37 MX$144

-17.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.36 zł 52.5

$10.66 MX$183

34.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.55

$2.63 MX$45.12

-52.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 zł 6.51

$1.49 MX$25.53

19.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 zł 7.38

$1.92 MX$32.94

5.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 zł 13.70

$2.09 MX$35.81

79.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 zł 3.80

$1.86 MX$31.88

-44.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.53

$2.26 MX$38.81

-45.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 zł 5.36

$1.06 MX$18.23

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.51

$1.09 MX$18.67

-36.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 zł 16.18

$4.15 MX$71.2

6.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 zł 25.33

$10.39 MX$178

-33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 zł 5.26

$1.72 MX$29.59

-16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 zł 6.85

$2.61 MX$44.85

-28.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 zł 3.92

$0.54 MX$9.30

98.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 zł 95.2

$26.94 MX$462

-3.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 zł 9.95

$3.13 MX$53.7

-13.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.73

$2.51 MX$43.09

-59.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.83 zł 50.6

$3.15 MX$54.1

339.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 zł 6.27

$1.27 MX$21.88

34.65%

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

$33.0K zł 120.6K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

8.63%

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

$27.0K zł 98.7K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

14.60%

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

$362 zł 1,323

$83.0 MX$1,425

336.06%

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

$10.06 zł 36.77

$22.71 MX$390

-55.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.06 zł 55.1

$29.46 MX$506

-48.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.12 zł 128

$51.0 MX$875

-31.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.54 zł 49.50

$18.33 MX$315

-26.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 zł 23.90

$4.93 MX$84.5

32.66%

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

$589 zł 2,154

$197 MX$3,386

198.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,088 zł 7,630

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-60.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 zł 362

$36.90 MX$633

168.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 zł 174

$39.89 MX$685

19.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 zł 350

$80.0 MX$1,373

19.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 zł 404

$89.5 MX$1,536

23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 zł 2,497

$956 MX$16.4K

-28.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 zł 1,750

$477 MX$8,189

0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 zł 3,561

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-40.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 zł 3,017

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-32.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,318 zł 8,472

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-40.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 zł 8,489

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-64.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,397 zł 5,107

$667 MX$11.4K

109.48%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $683 in Elblag and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 109% 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: $29.00 in Elblag vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $250 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Elblag pays 109% more on average, 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: $683 in Elblag versus $956 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 $43.00 versus $29.00 in Elblag. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,547 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 22% less than in Elblag. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.