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: $1,561 in Elblag versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,198 in Elblag versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,835 in Elblag versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Elblag is roughly 21% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elblag is 17% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.68 zł 38.76

$11.94 MX$208

-10.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.84 zł 105

$42.75 MX$744

-32.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 zł 28.15

$10.59 MX$184

-26.82%

Cappuccino

$4.13 zł 14.99

$3.62 MX$63.0

14.09%

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

$2.06 zł 7.47

$1.47 MX$25.54

40.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 zł 6.75

$0.94 MX$16.41

97.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 zł 12.02

$3.09 MX$53.8

7.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 zł 17.07

$4.46 MX$77.6

5.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 zł 4.13

$1.43 MX$24.80

-20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 zł 4.90

$1.88 MX$32.79

-28.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 zł 6.65

$1.63 MX$28.34

12.27%

Eggs

$3.52 zł 12.76

$2.64 MX$45.99

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 zł 36.36

$8.21 MX$143

22.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 zł 25.65

$8.29 MX$144

-14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 zł 51.3

$11.10 MX$193

27.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 zł 4.70

$2.65 MX$46.14

-50.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 zł 6.67

$1.50 MX$26.11

22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 zł 7.34

$1.99 MX$34.59

1.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 zł 13.48

$2.08 MX$36.13

78.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 zł 3.93

$1.79 MX$31.11

-39.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 zł 4.44

$2.18 MX$37.87

-44.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 zł 5.27

$1.08 MX$18.73

34.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.49

$1.04 MX$18.04

-33.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 zł 15.83

$3.97 MX$69.1

9.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.85 zł 24.85

$10.20 MX$178

-32.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 zł 5.22

$1.73 MX$30.04

-16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 zł 6.82

$2.50 MX$43.46

-24.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 zł 4.04

$0.52 MX$9.02

113.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.55 zł 92.7

$26.97 MX$469

-5.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 zł 10.13

$3.14 MX$54.7

-11.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 zł 3.70

$2.40 MX$41.80

-57.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.36 zł 48.51

$3.09 MX$53.7

332.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 zł 6.18

$1.27 MX$22.16

33.86%

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

$32.6K zł 118.5K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

5.70%

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

$26.5K zł 96.2K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

13.68%

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

$356 zł 1,293

$82.0 MX$1,427

334.34%

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

$9.98 zł 36.23

$22.45 MX$391

-55.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.90 zł 54.1

$29.66 MX$516

-49.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.28 zł 128

$51.9 MX$903

-31.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.47 zł 48.89

$18.67 MX$325

-27.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 zł 22.98

$4.97 MX$86.5

27.36%

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

$574 zł 2,082

$198 MX$3,442

189.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,070 zł 7,513

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-60.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 zł 354

$36.34 MX$632

168.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.96 zł 174

$40.05 MX$697

19.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 zł 346

$79.9 MX$1,390

19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 zł 401

$88.9 MX$1,547

24.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 zł 2,493

$963 MX$16.8K

-28.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 zł 1,803

$465 MX$8,086

6.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 zł 3,596

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 zł 2,991

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-31.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,332 zł 8,464

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-40.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 zł 8,374

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-64.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,393 zł 5,057

$720 MX$12.5K

93.37%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Elblag and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 93% 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 $243 vs $251 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Elblag pays 93% 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: $687 in Elblag versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Elblag pay roughly 3% 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,561 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 21% less than in Elblag. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.