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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,046 in Albion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,860 in Albion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,674 in Albion.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than Albion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Albion 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.69 MUR 316

75.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$44.06 MUR 2,082

-5.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.43 MUR 304

65.47%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.60 MUR 75.4

120.00%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.97 MUR 45.90

55.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.60 MUR 28.58

61.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.96 MUR 92.6

50.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.66 MUR 126

67.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.51 MUR 71.4

-8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.56 MUR 26.65

237.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.32 MUR 62.4

24.24%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.35 MUR 111

6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.91 MUR 563

-29.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.27 MUR 249

58.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.32 MUR 393

28.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.61 MUR 76.1

61.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.38 MUR 65.0

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.45 MUR 68.5

31.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.02 MUR 95.6

2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.84 MUR 39.69

111.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.67 MUR 31.85

226.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.63 MUR 29.72

65.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.31 MUR 14.83

248.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.01 MUR 284

-32.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.83 MUR 370

31.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.73 MUR 81.5

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.17 MUR 102

18.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.11 MUR 52.7

-54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$44.01 MUR 2,079

-39.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$4.31 MUR 204

-24.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$2.59 MUR 122

-3.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$19.77 MUR 934

-83.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.38 MUR 65.3

-5.07%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-14.68%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-17.22%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$48.51 MUR 2,292

70.83%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$18.39 MUR 869

20.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$33.42 MUR 1,579

-12.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$69.4 MUR 3,279

-25.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.01 MUR 284

-15.64%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$157 MUR 7,414

27.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,953 MUR 186.8K

31.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$55.8 MUR 2,634

-33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$44.35 MUR 2,096

-10.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$78.1 MUR 3,691

0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$88.7 MUR 4,192

-1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$507 MUR 24.0K

91.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$352 MUR 16.6K

32.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$932 MUR 44.0K

76.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,110 MUR 52.4K

10.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Albion: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 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 $44.00 in Albion. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $193, 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,046 including rent). Albion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,569 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: $973 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 66% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 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 $1,046 in Albion versus $1,297 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.