Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Albert Lea, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
Learn more

Albert Lea, MN Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Albert Lea, MN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Albert Lea, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Albert Lea, MN $1,944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Albert Lea, MN $2,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Albert Lea, MN $3,995

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 38% less than in Albert Lea, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Albert Lea, MN is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$20.02 $20.02

-45.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$102 $102

-56.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$11.92 $11.92

-1.34%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$6.29 $6.29

-41.49%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$3.06 $3.06

-56.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$2.56 $2.56

-67.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$4.88 $4.88

-37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$5.69 $5.69

-13.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.92 $0.92

59.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.93 $2.93

-24.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.17 $2.17

-31.80%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.90 $3.90

-36.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$8.84 $8.84

-14.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$16.56 $16.56

-51.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$18.96 $18.96

-33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$5.40 $5.40

-48.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.50 $1.50

-4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$4.89 $4.89

-46.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.72 $3.72

-42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.73 $2.73

-26.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.22 $2.22

-10.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.70 $2.70

-57.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$2.30 $2.30

-47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$9.92 $9.92

-57.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$15.24 $15.24

-34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.74 $1.74

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$3.39 $3.39

-21.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.09 $2.09

-74.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.95 $1.95

151.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.28 $1.28

167.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$20.31 $20.31

-73.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.94 $0.94

54.26%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-20.68%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$25.6K $25.6K

-10.08%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$185 $185

-53.77%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$53.4 $53.4

-56.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$79.6 $79.6

-64.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$39.66 $39.66

56.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$9.82 $9.82

-48.07%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$1,350 $1,350

-85.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$11.9K $11.9K

-66.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$45.76 $45.76

-2.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$24.54 $24.54

68.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$50.6 $50.6

43.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$59.6 $59.6

50.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,030 $1,030

-4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$739 $739

-49.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,586 $1,586

5.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$1,188 $1,188

-7.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,942 $2,942

34.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$2,028 $2,028

202.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$2,957 $2,957

-75.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.57

74.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38% 98.3% $367

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6% 54.9% $142

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17% 64.7% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3% 132% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2% 27.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1% 18.1% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9% 67.7% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albert Lea, MN pays 301% 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: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $102 in Albert Lea, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $400 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

17,758

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Albert Lea, MN 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Albert Lea, MN

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Albert Lea, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Albert Lea, MN differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $1,944 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 301% lower in Albert Lea, MN. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $102 in Albert Lea, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Albert Lea, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Albert Lea, MN 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 61% less than in Albert Lea, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.