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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,053 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,608 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,163 in Durres.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 22% more expensive than Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Durres 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$9.39 ALL 767

27.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$35.05 ALL 2,862

21.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.18 ALL 586

47.49%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.92 ALL 157

88.54%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.62 ALL 132

-9.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.84 ALL 68.3

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.34 ALL 191

32.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.36 ALL 275

32.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.02 ALL 165

-29.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.86 ALL 70.6

118.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.93 ALL 158

-15.54%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.94 ALL 240

-10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.42 ALL 851

-21.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.78 ALL 635

6.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.18 ALL 1,076

-15.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.19 ALL 97.5

122.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.34 ALL 191

-35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.30 ALL 106

53.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.14 ALL 93.5

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.11 ALL 90.4

61.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.99 ALL 80.5

120.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.13 ALL 92.6

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.62 ALL 50.7

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.99 ALL 326

-0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.27 ALL 920

-9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.68 ALL 137

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.75 ALL 143

42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.45 ALL 36.74

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$18.03 ALL 1,472

49.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.57 ALL 292

-12.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.13 ALL 174

12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$17.76 ALL 1,450

-82.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.21 ALL 180

-42.53%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$15.4K ALL 1.3M

100.52%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

-9.44%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$66.3 ALL 5,414

23.68%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.73 ALL 1,447

26.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$16.07 ALL 1,312

84.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$37.33 ALL 3,048

38.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$60.1 ALL 4,903

-68.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.26 ALL 593

-31.54%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$180 ALL 14.7K

9.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,417 ALL 360.6K

19.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$38.32 ALL 3,128

-5.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$39.82 ALL 3,251

0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$84.0 ALL 6,856

-4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$153 ALL 12.5K

-42.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$426 ALL 34.8K

125.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$316 ALL 25.8K

47.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$598 ALL 48.9K

166.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$422 ALL 34.5K

186.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,824 ALL 149.0K

116.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,142 ALL 93.2K

464.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$844 ALL 68.9K

-14.69%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Durres: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $426 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 17% 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 $251 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 22% 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 17% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,053 in Durres – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,053 in Durres versus $1,287 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 $1,053 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 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.