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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $919 in Elbasan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,443 in Elbasan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,967 in Elbasan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 38% 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 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.64 ALL 787

23.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$32.11 ALL 2,624

33.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.21 ALL 589

47.71%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.79 ALL 146

92.74%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.29 ALL 105

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.68 ALL 55.9

39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.79 ALL 146

69.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.43 ALL 198

89.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.84 ALL 150

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.93 ALL 76.3

98.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.56 ALL 128

3.21%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.04 ALL 249

-14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.05 ALL 821

-17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.21 ALL 426

60.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.14 ALL 992

-12.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.85 ALL 69.5

209.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.48 ALL 202

-39.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.25 ALL 102

53.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.97 ALL 79.0

115.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.96 ALL 78.1

93.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.09 ALL 88.8

107.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.90 ALL 73.5

17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.57 ALL 46.46

91.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.96 ALL 323

4.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.70 ALL 629

34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.90 ALL 73.6

91.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.50 ALL 123

74.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.48 ALL 39.39

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$19.18 ALL 1,567

40.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.46 ALL 283

-9.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.24 ALL 101

102.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$13.90 ALL 1,136

-77.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.11 ALL 172

-39.81%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.0K ALL 1.7M

44.40%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.2K ALL 2.2M

-13.23%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$68.5 ALL 5,596

21.19%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.59 ALL 1,437

29.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.13 ALL 1,236

94.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$66.0 ALL 5,392

-22.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.22 ALL 1,325

13.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.74 ALL 469

-14.11%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$142 ALL 11.6K

38.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,761 ALL 143.9K

199.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$46.55 ALL 3,804

-20.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$34.60 ALL 2,827

15.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$93.6 ALL 7,650

-14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$177 ALL 14.5K

-49.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$284 ALL 23.2K

236.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$196 ALL 16.0K

143.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$423 ALL 34.5K

289.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$296 ALL 24.2K

314.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,350 ALL 110.3K

190.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$862 ALL 70.5K

649.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$536 ALL 43.8K

24.49%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 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 24% 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: $250 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 38%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,378 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 $919, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.