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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,103 in Alberton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,733 in Alberton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,363 in Alberton.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 14% more expensive than in Alberton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Alberton 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$8.32 R 139

40.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$33.30 R 555

25.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$4.43 R 73.8

137.25%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.04 R 34.05

75.98%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.01 R 16.89

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.82 R 13.60

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.29 R 38.15

29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.20 R 36.60

100.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.04 R 17.26

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.06 R 17.67

77.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.61 R 26.85

-3.11%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.09 R 34.84

24.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$7.73 R 129

7.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$4.62 R 77.0

80.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$5.94 R 99.0

82.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.58 R 26.28

71.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.61 R 26.82

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.54 R 25.65

21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.58 R 26.37

38.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.14 R 19.01

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.16 R 19.26

92.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.09 R 18.19

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.90 R 15.05

21.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.85 R 47.40

47.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$3.06 R 51.0

240.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.16 R 19.37

43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.24 R 20.59

110.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$2.86 R 47.59

-81.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$113 R 1,881

-76.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.43 R 23.87

115.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.37 R 22.78

75.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$3.00 R 50.0

4.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.27 R 21.13

3.15%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$19.6K R 326.1K

52.25%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$25.7K R 428.1K

-9.24%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$124 R 2,070

-34.60%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$37.48 R 624

-39.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$38.18 R 636

-21.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$36.74 R 612

44.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$14.20 R 237

29.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$5.45 R 90.8

-9.72%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$142 R 2,362

41.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$1,684 R 28.0K

207.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$49.59 R 826

-27.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$30.23 R 504

32.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$87.7 R 1,461

-9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$87.5 R 1,457

-1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$406 R 6,763

140.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$314 R 5,229

49.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$858 R 14.3K

92.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$691 R 11.5K

74.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$724 R 12.1K

445.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$604 R 10.1K

994.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$2,083 R 34.7K

-67.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.69

-2.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Alberton: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $406 in Alberton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 208% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Alberton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $167 per month, with Alberton 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 Alberton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alberton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 208% lower in Alberton. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $406 in Alberton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alberton – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,103 in Alberton versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alberton but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Alberton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alberton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alberton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.