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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $743 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,120 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,498 in Albay.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 79% more expensive than in Albay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Albay 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$4.09 ₱252

218.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$17.43 ₱1,075

165.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$2.89 ₱178

335.64%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.20 ₱135

81.82%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.64 ₱39.30

121.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.35 ₱21.34

131.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.05 ₱64.5

190.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$1.71 ₱106

298.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.64 ₱101

4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.04 ₱64.0

113.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$0.84 ₱52.1

104.76%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.17 ₱134

24.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$5.03 ₱310

86.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$3.78 ₱233

134.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$7.65 ₱472

67.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.34 ₱144

33.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.46 ₱90.0

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.18 ₱134

-1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.25 ₱77.3

88.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$2.27 ₱140

-11.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$2.15 ₱133

-7.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.88 ₱54.2

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.55 ₱33.86

116.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.83 ₱174

64.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$7.16 ₱441

46.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$0.82 ₱50.7

92.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.25 ₱139

29.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.27 ₱16.80

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$10.95 ₱675

171.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.78 ₱48.18

582.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.27 ₱16.68

1277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$1.97 ₱122

193.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.29 ₱79.3

20.16%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

6.39%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$18.0K ₱1.1M

41.95%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$132 ₱8,137

-32.36%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$15.50 ₱955

50.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$26.36 ₱1,625

20.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$32.15 ₱1,982

113.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$5.11 ₱315

475.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$4.50 ₱277

12.44%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$117 ₱7,219

89.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$8,818 ₱543.6K

-51.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$29.95 ₱1,847

54.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$20.28 ₱1,250

119.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$61.5 ₱3,790

55.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$57.9 ₱3,568

59.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$276 ₱17.0K

287.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$189 ₱11.6K

108.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$506 ₱31.2K

292.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$394 ₱24.3K

231.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,676 ₱164.9K

50.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,145 ₱70.6K

478.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$166 ₱10.2K

350.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

6.75

71.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Albay: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $276 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 351% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $175 per month, with Albay 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Albay differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($1,330 vs $743 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 351% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $276 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $743 in Albay versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.