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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,244 in Lushnje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,889 in Lushnje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,534 in Lushnje.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 3% more expensive than Lushnje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Lushnje 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$11.90 ALL 972

0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$58.0 ALL 4,734

-26.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$9.57 ALL 781

10.66%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.99 ALL 163

81.91%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.87 ALL 153

-21.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.91 ALL 74.1

3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.03 ALL 247

1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.24 ALL 346

5.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.07 ALL 169

-30.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.13 ALL 92.7

66.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.16 ALL 176

-24.54%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$3.95 ALL 323

-33.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$13.04 ALL 1,065

-37.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.54 ALL 615

9.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$15.46 ALL 1,262

-28.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.78 ALL 145

48.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.78 ALL 227

-46.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.98 ALL 162

0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.99 ALL 162

4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.36 ALL 111

31.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.33 ALL 109

63.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.51 ALL 123

-28.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.75 ALL 61.5

38.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.22 ALL 345

-5.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.40 ALL 849

-1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.58 ALL 129

9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.09 ALL 171

19.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.46 ALL 37.54

13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$18.57 ALL 1,516

45.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.56 ALL 291

-11.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$3.19 ALL 260

-24.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$17.81 ALL 1,454

-82.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.05 ALL 167

-38.05%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$40.3K ALL 3.3M

-23.36%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

-33.48%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$107 ALL 8,719

-23.20%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.98 ALL 1,468

24.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.75 ALL 1,531

58.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$55.1 ALL 4,498

-5.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$25.56 ALL 2,087

-26.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$9.46 ALL 773

-47.46%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$161 ALL 13.1K

22.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$5,615 ALL 458.4K

-6.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$67.6 ALL 5,518

-46.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$50.4 ALL 4,112

-20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$108 ALL 8,828

-26.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$129 ALL 10.5K

-31.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$445 ALL 36.4K

116.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$346 ALL 28.3K

34.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$620 ALL 50.6K

157.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$430 ALL 35.1K

181.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,037 ALL 166.3K

93.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,224 ALL 99.9K

426.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$604 ALL 49.3K

19.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.52

106.88%

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 Lushnje: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $445 in Lushnje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 19% 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 $58.0 in Lushnje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $278 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Lushnje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lushnje wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lushnje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 19% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $445 in Lushnje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lushnje – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,244 in Lushnje – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Lushnje versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lushnje but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lushnje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lushnje delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,244 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lushnje hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Lushnje 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 Lushnje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.