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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,091 in Alberton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,736 in Alberton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,381 in Alberton.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 17% more expensive than Alberton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Alberton 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.50 R 137

39.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.09 R 551

25.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.38 R 70.8

143.15%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.03 R 32.85

69.95%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.06 R 17.06

41.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.86 R 13.98

10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.18 R 35.30

38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.29 R 37.03

101.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.08 R 17.51

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.01 R 16.38

83.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.63 R 26.40

-1.23%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.07 R 33.47

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.81 R 126

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.54 R 73.4

84.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.78 R 93.4

84.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.50 R 24.22

75.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.60 R 25.87

-6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.47 R 23.70

30.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.56 R 25.26

33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.17 R 18.95

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.22 R 19.77

85.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.08 R 17.42

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.83 R 13.43

31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.78 R 45.01

49.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$3.00 R 48.49

246.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.18 R 19.04

45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.23 R 19.87

112.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$2.81 R 45.45

-80.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$114 R 1,846

-76.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.38 R 22.25

126.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.33 R 21.48

88.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.16 R 51.0

-0.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.26 R 20.37

0.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.2K R 310.8K

57.99%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$26.4K R 426.7K

-10.72%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$123 R 1,994

-32.71%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$37.65 R 609

-39.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$37.90 R 613

-22.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.61 R 608

35.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.72 R 222

33.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.63 R 91.1

-12.43%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$139 R 2,243

42.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,654 R 26.7K

219.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$49.22 R 796

-25.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$29.59 R 478

34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$86.0 R 1,390

-6.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$87.4 R 1,412

2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$412 R 6,657

132.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$304 R 4,922

56.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$846 R 13.7K

94.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$714 R 11.5K

71.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$886 R 14.3K

342.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$701 R 11.3K

821.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$2,140 R 34.6K

-68.83%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Alberton: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $412 in Alberton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 221% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Alberton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $165 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Alberton earns 221% less. 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $412 in Alberton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% 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 $34.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,091 in Alberton versus $1,271 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 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.