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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,547 in Elblag.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,223 in Elblag.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,900 in Elblag.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 18% less than in Elblag, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Elblag is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.91 zł 39.87

8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$29.42 zł 108

45.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.69 zł 28.09

38.49%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.31 zł 15.75

-19.95%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.11 zł 7.71

-28.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.91 zł 6.98

-50.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.28 zł 11.99

-7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.73 zł 17.29

-2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.18 zł 4.32

16.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.42 zł 5.20

30.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.77 zł 6.47

-9.04%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.63 zł 13.28

-28.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.29 zł 37.62

-19.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.88 zł 25.14

21.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$14.36 zł 52.5

-25.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.24 zł 4.55

112.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.78 zł 6.51

-16.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.02 zł 7.38

-4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$3.75 zł 13.70

-44.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.04 zł 3.80

78.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.24 zł 4.53

82.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.47 zł 5.36

-27.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.69 zł 2.51

57.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.43 zł 16.18

-6.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.93 zł 25.33

49.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.44 zł 5.26

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.87 zł 6.85

39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.07 zł 3.92

-49.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$26.04 zł 95.2

3.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.72 zł 9.95

15.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.02 zł 3.73

146.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$13.83 zł 50.6

-77.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.71 zł 6.27

-25.73%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.0K zł 120.6K

-7.94%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.0K zł 98.7K

-12.74%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$362 zł 1,323

-77.07%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.06 zł 36.77

125.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.06 zł 55.1

95.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$35.12 zł 128

45.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$13.54 zł 49.50

35.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.54 zł 23.90

-24.62%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$589 zł 2,154

-66.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,088 zł 7,630

152.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$98.9 zł 362

-62.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$47.50 zł 174

-16.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.7 zł 350

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$111 zł 404

-19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$683 zł 2,497

40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$479 zł 1,750

-0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$974 zł 3,561

68.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$825 zł 3,017

48.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,318 zł 8,472

69.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,323 zł 8,489

178.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,397 zł 5,107

-52.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

63.14%

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 Elblag: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $683 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 109% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $244 per month, with Elblag 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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Elblag earns 109% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $683 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Elblag pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $29.00 in Elblag. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,547 in Elblag, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Elblag. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Elblag, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Elblag are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Elblag. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.