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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,043 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,573 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,103 in Durres.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$203

$9.48 ALL 766

23.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$35.56 ALL 2,874

17.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.27 ALL 587

44.57%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$1.96 ALL 158

83.16%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$1.58 ALL 127

-4.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.79 ALL 63.7

16.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.43 ALL 196

21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$3.34 ALL 270

32.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$2.05 ALL 165

-31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$0.92 ALL 74.0

104.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$2.01 ALL 163

-22.39%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$3.01 ALL 243

-13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.48 ALL 847

-20.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.64 ALL 618

9.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.13 ALL 1,061

-17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$1.16 ALL 93.6

133.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$2.44 ALL 197

-38.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.28 ALL 104

46.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$1.15 ALL 92.6

90.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$1.10 ALL 88.8

69.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$0.99 ALL 80.2

125.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$1.15 ALL 92.8

-6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.62 ALL 50.5

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$4.12 ALL 333

1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$11.00 ALL 889

-5.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.66 ALL 134

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$1.82 ALL 147

43.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.49 ALL 39.77

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$18.09 ALL 1,461

44.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.60 ALL 291

-14.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$2.11 ALL 171

13.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$17.45 ALL 1,410

-82.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$2.11 ALL 170

-37.91%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$15.4K ALL 1.2M

92.96%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

-9.30%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$68.3 ALL 5,516

19.06%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$17.80 ALL 1,439

26.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$15.74 ALL 1,272

90.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$37.70 ALL 3,046

40.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$58.9 ALL 4,758

-68.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$7.03 ALL 568

-30.01%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$174 ALL 14.1K

15.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$4,370 ALL 353.1K

18.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$38.89 ALL 3,142

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$39.80 ALL 3,216

0.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$85.5 ALL 6,906

-6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$158 ALL 12.7K

-45.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$415 ALL 33.6K

135.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$322 ALL 26.0K

46.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$593 ALL 47.9K

178.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$423 ALL 34.2K

184.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$1,792 ALL 144.8K

120.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$1,156 ALL 93.4K

471.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$949 ALL 76.7K

-28.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Durres: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $415 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 40% 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 $36.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $241 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, salaries run 40% lower in Durres. 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 $415 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,043 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,043 in Durres versus $1,260 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 $1,043 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.