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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,233 in Lushnje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,852 in Lushnje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,471 in Lushnje.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2% more expensive than in Lushnje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lushnje 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$11.91 ALL 976

-1.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$58.0 ALL 4,753

-27.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$9.39 ALL 769

11.93%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.00 ALL 163

79.50%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.83 ALL 150

-17.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.91 ALL 74.2

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.96 ALL 242

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$4.03 ALL 330

9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$2.16 ALL 177

-35.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.09 ALL 89.3

72.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$2.24 ALL 184

-30.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$3.92 ALL 321

-33.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$12.99 ALL 1,064

-35.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$7.65 ALL 627

9.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$15.62 ALL 1,280

-30.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.70 ALL 139

59.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$2.69 ALL 221

-43.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$2.05 ALL 168

-8.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.00 ALL 164

9.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.31 ALL 107

41.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.27 ALL 104

75.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.46 ALL 120

-26.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.75 ALL 61.8

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$4.16 ALL 341

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$10.74 ALL 880

-2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.58 ALL 129

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.13 ALL 175

22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.46 ALL 37.37

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$19.01 ALL 1,558

37.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$3.44 ALL 282

-10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$3.20 ALL 262

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$17.35 ALL 1,422

-81.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$2.08 ALL 171

-37.02%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$39.9K ALL 3.3M

-25.29%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$36.1K ALL 3.0M

-35.31%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$106 ALL 8,679

-23.26%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$18.03 ALL 1,477

25.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$18.24 ALL 1,495

64.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$55.3 ALL 4,528

-4.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$25.39 ALL 2,081

-27.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$9.69 ALL 794

-49.23%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$158 ALL 12.9K

27.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$5,538 ALL 453.8K

-6.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$69.4 ALL 5,686

-48.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$50.0 ALL 4,099

-19.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$109 ALL 8,963

-27.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$128 ALL 10.5K

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$456 ALL 37.3K

114.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$340 ALL 27.8K

38.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$612 ALL 50.1K

169.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$435 ALL 35.6K

176.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$1,786 ALL 146.3K

121.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,080 ALL 88.5K

511.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$605 ALL 49.6K

11.86%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lushnje: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Lushnje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 12% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $58.0 in Lushnje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $279 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 2% 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.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $456 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,233 in Lushnje – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,233 in Lushnje versus $1,260 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 $1,233 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 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.