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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,463 in Elblag.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,095 in Elblag.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,727 in Elblag.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 13% less than in Elblag, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Elblag is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$12.59 zł 47.88

-7.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$28.33 zł 108

66.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.65 zł 29.10

55.29%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.71 zł 14.13

7.28%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.24 zł 8.53

-36.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.71 zł 6.49

-52.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$3.12 zł 11.87

2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.94 zł 14.97

72.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.08 zł 4.12

55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.68 zł 6.41

30.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.99 zł 3.76

72.73%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.87 zł 14.70

-29.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.07 zł 34.48

5.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.57 zł 28.77

19.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$12.13 zł 46.13

5.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.41 zł 5.35

104.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.79 zł 6.82

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.60 zł 6.10

34.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$3.35 zł 12.75

-32.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.84 zł 3.19

135.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.42 zł 5.39

40.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.22 zł 4.62

0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.54 zł 2.07

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.31 zł 16.40

5.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.77 zł 25.73

53.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.55 zł 2.10

194.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.47 zł 5.58

95.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.07 zł 4.07

-43.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$25.61 zł 97.4

12.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.31 zł 8.80

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.87 zł 3.31

328.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$10.57 zł 40.19

-45.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.58 zł 6.02

-2.53%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$32.4K zł 123.0K

-30.31%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$26.6K zł 101.2K

-2.10%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$269 zł 1,024

-66.05%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$8.41 zł 31.99

199.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$14.80 zł 56.3

111.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$43.27 zł 165

55.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$22.78 zł 86.6

27.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.56 zł 21.16

-12.59%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$342 zł 1,301

-34.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$1,976 zł 7,514

114.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$83.5 zł 317

-43.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$39.01 zł 148

13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$91.9 zł 349

-12.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$104 zł 394

-10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$624 zł 2,372

70.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$530 zł 2,016

-26.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$970 zł 3,689

121.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$819 zł 3,113

55.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,250 zł 8,556

77.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$2,368 zł 9,006

174.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,358 zł 5,165

-44.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.89

66.18%

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 Elblag: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $624 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays 79% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $225 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 Clothing & Footwear. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Elblag. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $624 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Elblag pay roughly 22% 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 $47.00 versus $28.00 in Elblag. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,463 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 16% less than in Elblag. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.