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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,046 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,598 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,150 in Durres.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Durres 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.49 ALL 776

25.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.73 ALL 2,838

23.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.02 ALL 574

51.71%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.87 ALL 153

84.49%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.59 ALL 130

-5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.83 ALL 68.1

14.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.33 ALL 191

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.31 ALL 270

39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.99 ALL 162

-30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.91 ALL 74.3

103.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.03 ALL 166

-20.69%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.95 ALL 241

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.51 ALL 859

-21.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.78 ALL 636

7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.40 ALL 1,094

-20.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.15 ALL 94.3

128.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.36 ALL 193

-36.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.30 ALL 106

47.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.20 ALL 97.7

74.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.09 ALL 89.2

70.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.04 ALL 84.7

117.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.15 ALL 93.7

-7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.64 ALL 52.2

70.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.18 ALL 341

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.92 ALL 892

-4.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.67 ALL 136

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.82 ALL 148

43.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.46 ALL 37.36

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$18.43 ALL 1,506

46.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.62 ALL 296

-13.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.05 ALL 167

22.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.71 ALL 1,447

-82.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.20 ALL 180

-42.27%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$15.2K ALL 1.2M

99.48%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.5K ALL 2.1M

-7.58%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$67.9 ALL 5,548

22.22%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.82 ALL 1,456

27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.72 ALL 1,284

87.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.03 ALL 3,025

37.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$59.5 ALL 4,857

-69.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.16 ALL 585

-31.15%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$179 ALL 14.6K

10.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,380 ALL 357.8K

20.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$37.91 ALL 3,097

-2.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$39.86 ALL 3,257

0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$84.6 ALL 6,910

-5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$156 ALL 12.7K

-42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$427 ALL 34.9K

123.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$311 ALL 25.4K

53.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$614 ALL 50.2K

167.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$424 ALL 34.6K

188.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,812 ALL 148.1K

116.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,156 ALL 94.4K

458.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$834 ALL 68.1K

-20.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.33

114.26%

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 Durres: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $427 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 25% 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 $35.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $242 per month, with Durres 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 Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Durres earns 25% 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 $427 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,046 in Durres – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,046 in Durres versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,046 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Durres 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.