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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,179 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,788 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,396 in Durres.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Durres 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$10.60 ALL 840

9.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$38.30 ALL 3,037

23.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$10.50 ALL 833

13.14%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.08 ALL 165

91.35%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$2.05 ALL 162

-30.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.03 ALL 81.5

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$3.13 ALL 248

1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.50 ALL 357

50.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.20 ALL 175

-23.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.09 ALL 86.8

101.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.38 ALL 189

-28.15%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.97 ALL 315

-30.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$12.95 ALL 1,027

-26.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.93 ALL 629

13.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$15.04 ALL 1,193

-14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.18 ALL 93.5

144.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.45 ALL 194

-38.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.59 ALL 126

35.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.34 ALL 106

68.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.87 ALL 69.2

127.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.96 ALL 76.1

107.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.27 ALL 101

-3.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.72 ALL 57.0

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.43 ALL 351

2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$11.44 ALL 907

-9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.52 ALL 120

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.09 ALL 166

37.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.52 ALL 41.43

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$19.12 ALL 1,516

50.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$3.79 ALL 300

42.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$2.55 ALL 202

46.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$2.26 ALL 179

-31.86%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

40.20%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$98.0 ALL 7,773

-6.79%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$17.04 ALL 1,351

47.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$17.04 ALL 1,351

83.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$41.99 ALL 3,329

60.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$61.9 ALL 4,907

-52.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$7.51 ALL 595

-35.29%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$188 ALL 14.9K

19.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$4,691 ALL 372.0K

-9.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$39.91 ALL 3,164

18.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$41.87 ALL 3,320

5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$90.8 ALL 7,196

-11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$166 ALL 13.1K

-44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$459 ALL 36.4K

131.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$342 ALL 27.1K

14.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$716 ALL 56.8K

199.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$472 ALL 37.4K

169.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,835 ALL 145.5K

118.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,155 ALL 91.6K

462.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$969 ALL 76.8K

-21.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.25

118.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Durres: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $459 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $269 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 7% 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 28% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $459 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,179 in Durres – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,179 in Durres versus $1,266 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 $1,179 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.