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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $916 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,471 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,026 in Elbasan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Elbasan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Elbasan 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$9.24 ALL 754

29.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$31.89 ALL 2,604

34.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.18 ALL 586

47.49%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.80 ALL 147

101.11%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.27 ALL 103

15.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.68 ALL 55.4

38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.74 ALL 142

77.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.37 ALL 194

88.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.84 ALL 150

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.92 ALL 74.9

104.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.56 ALL 128

4.49%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.91 ALL 238

-9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.77 ALL 798

-15.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.34 ALL 436

55.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.41 ALL 1,013

-10.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.91 ALL 74.5

191.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.37 ALL 193

-36.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.26 ALL 103

57.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.89 ALL 73.1

133.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.92 ALL 75.3

94.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.09 ALL 88.8

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.98 ALL 80.3

10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.60 ALL 49.04

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.99 ALL 326

-0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.24 ALL 672

23.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.92 ALL 75.4

88.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.46 ALL 119

71.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.45 ALL 36.64

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$18.66 ALL 1,523

44.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.60 ALL 294

-12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.29 ALL 105

86.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$14.36 ALL 1,173

-78.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.11 ALL 172

-39.81%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

46.84%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$27.5K ALL 2.2M

-15.24%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$67.2 ALL 5,487

22.02%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.26 ALL 1,409

30.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.29 ALL 1,248

93.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$65.6 ALL 5,359

-20.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$16.37 ALL 1,336

14.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.43 ALL 443

-8.47%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$139 ALL 11.4K

42.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,789 ALL 146.1K

194.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$104 ALL 8,511

-65.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$34.21 ALL 2,793

17.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$93.8 ALL 7,660

-14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$180 ALL 14.7K

-50.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$289 ALL 23.6K

233.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$198 ALL 16.2K

134.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$421 ALL 34.4K

279.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$300 ALL 24.5K

303.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,362 ALL 111.2K

189.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$847 ALL 69.1K

661.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$550 ALL 44.9K

30.87%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $289 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 31% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $207 – 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 40%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,374 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 21% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $32.00 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 $916, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.