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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $909 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,431 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,953 in Elbasan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 39% more than Elbasan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Elbasan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Elbasan 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$9.89 ALL 784

17.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$38.18 ALL 3,026

23.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.97 ALL 553

70.44%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.74 ALL 138

128.74%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$1.42 ALL 112

0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.70 ALL 55.7

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.22 ALL 176

43.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.88 ALL 228

135.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.98 ALL 157

-15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$0.99 ALL 78.7

122.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$1.62 ALL 128

5.56%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$2.78 ALL 221

-1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.41 ALL 825

-7.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.95 ALL 472

51.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.51 ALL 912

11.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$1.27 ALL 101

127.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$2.26 ALL 179

-33.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.42 ALL 112

51.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.12 ALL 88.7

101.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$1.05 ALL 83.4

88.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$1.07 ALL 84.6

85.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$0.81 ALL 63.8

51.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$0.67 ALL 53.1

79.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$4.53 ALL 359

0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.20 ALL 650

26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.08 ALL 85.7

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$1.88 ALL 149

53.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.48 ALL 38.21

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$20.37 ALL 1,614

41.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$3.80 ALL 301

41.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.54 ALL 122

142.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$15.22 ALL 1,207

-62.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$2.18 ALL 173

-29.36%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$30.3K ALL 2.4M

-25.55%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$30.5K ALL 2.4M

-14.66%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$61.7 ALL 4,890

48.10%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$15.59 ALL 1,236

61.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$12.04 ALL 954

159.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$59.9 ALL 4,746

12.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$17.30 ALL 1,371

68.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.33 ALL 343

12.24%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$147 ALL 11.7K

51.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$1,867 ALL 148.0K

126.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$76.5 ALL 6,058

-38.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$45.86 ALL 3,635

-3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$97.8 ALL 7,749

-18.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$98.5 ALL 7,808

-5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$306 ALL 24.2K

247.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$206 ALL 16.3K

89.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$445 ALL 35.3K

383.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$324 ALL 25.7K

292.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,392 ALL 110.3K

187.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$895 ALL 70.9K

626.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$559 ALL 44.3K

35.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.1

87.70%

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 Elbasan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $306 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 36% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $216 – 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 39%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,364 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 28% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $38.00 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 $909, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.