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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,042 in Albion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,867 in Albion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,692 in Albion.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Albion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Albion 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.66 MUR 313

80.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$44.86 MUR 2,107

-6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.56 MUR 308

63.87%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.53 MUR 71.6

128.76%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.00 MUR 47.16

45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.60 MUR 28.15

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.01 MUR 94.2

46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.61 MUR 123

72.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.51 MUR 70.8

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.53 MUR 24.84

247.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.31 MUR 61.7

19.85%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.26 MUR 106

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.85 MUR 557

-30.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.46 MUR 256

54.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.38 MUR 394

27.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.60 MUR 75.2

63.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.37 MUR 64.4

5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.43 MUR 67.2

37.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.03 MUR 95.4

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.89 MUR 41.88

107.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.64 MUR 30.18

239.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.65 MUR 30.35

58.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.32 MUR 14.93

234.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.23 MUR 293

-34.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.99 MUR 375

27.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.79 MUR 84.1

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.24 MUR 105

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.12 MUR 52.8

-54.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$44.79 MUR 2,104

-41.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.45 MUR 209

-27.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.66 MUR 125

-9.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$19.58 MUR 920

-83.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.44 MUR 67.5

-8.33%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

-15.79%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

-19.48%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$49.88 MUR 2,343

64.41%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$18.37 MUR 863

24.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$34.18 MUR 1,605

-11.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$71.7 MUR 3,368

-27.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.13 MUR 288

-18.76%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$157 MUR 7,377

25.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,017 MUR 188.7K

32.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$54.3 MUR 2,548

-34.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$43.73 MUR 2,054

-7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$77.8 MUR 3,653

1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$88.8 MUR 4,169

0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$507 MUR 23.8K

86.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$355 MUR 16.7K

33.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$964 MUR 45.3K

70.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,085 MUR 50.9K

11.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Albion: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $507 in Albion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $45.00 in Albion. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $195, with Albion cheaper for home cooking.

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 Albion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Albion differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,042 including rent). Albion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,563 in Albion to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $507 in Albion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Albion runs roughly 72% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $157 in Albion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,042 in Albion versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albion but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Albion 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 Albion 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 Albion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.