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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $917 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,433 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,949 in Elbasan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Elbasan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Elbasan 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.47 ALL 770

23.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$32.67 ALL 2,655

28.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.12 ALL 579

47.61%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.80 ALL 147

99.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.29 ALL 105

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.75 ALL 60.5

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.81 ALL 147

63.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.30 ALL 187

91.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.80 ALL 146

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.92 ALL 75.0

104.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.49 ALL 121

4.70%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.00 ALL 244

-13.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.69 ALL 787

-14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.44 ALL 442

53.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.45 ALL 1,012

-12.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$0.87 ALL 70.5

211.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.37 ALL 193

-36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.25 ALL 102

49.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.93 ALL 75.5

135.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.01 ALL 81.7

84.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.03 ALL 83.8

116.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.90 ALL 73.0

18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.57 ALL 46.05

91.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.96 ALL 321

5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.13 ALL 661

28.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.90 ALL 73.0

84.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.43 ALL 116

82.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.48 ALL 39.02

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$18.61 ALL 1,512

40.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.43 ALL 279

-10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.28 ALL 104

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$14.32 ALL 1,163

-78.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.18 ALL 177

-39.91%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$21.6K ALL 1.8M

38.07%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$27.7K ALL 2.2M

-15.70%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$66.8 ALL 5,425

21.75%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.59 ALL 1,429

28.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$15.21 ALL 1,235

97.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$66.0 ALL 5,364

-19.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.18 ALL 1,314

13.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.67 ALL 461

-13.23%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$139 ALL 11.3K

44.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,791 ALL 145.5K

188.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$47.58 ALL 3,866

-24.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$34.42 ALL 2,797

16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$95.5 ALL 7,760

-16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$179 ALL 14.5K

-51.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$286 ALL 23.2K

242.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$194 ALL 15.7K

143.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$415 ALL 33.8K

297.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$296 ALL 24.0K

306.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,310 ALL 106.5K

201.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$866 ALL 70.3K

663.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$550 ALL 44.7K

22.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.1

87.21%

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 Elbasan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $286 in Elbasan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $206 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Elbasan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,375 in Elbasan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $33.00 in Elbasan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $917, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Elbasan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.