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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,225 in Lushnje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,888 in Lushnje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,551 in Lushnje.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than Lushnje, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lushnje 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$11.80 ALL 964

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$59.2 ALL 4,834

-27.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.51 ALL 777

11.99%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.07 ALL 169

66.67%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.90 ALL 155

-21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.96 ALL 78.8

-1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.99 ALL 244

1.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.16 ALL 340

10.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.04 ALL 167

-32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.14 ALL 93.0

62.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.15 ALL 176

-25.12%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.82 ALL 312

-32.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$13.21 ALL 1,080

-37.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.70 ALL 629

8.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$15.94 ALL 1,302

-33.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.71 ALL 140

53.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.80 ALL 229

-46.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.02 ALL 165

-4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.91 ALL 156

9.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.30 ALL 107

43.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.33 ALL 109

69.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.52 ALL 124

-30.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.74 ALL 60.5

47.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.30 ALL 351

-3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.72 ALL 876

-3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.63 ALL 134

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.14 ALL 175

21.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.45 ALL 36.52

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$18.50 ALL 1,511

45.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.54 ALL 289

-11.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.17 ALL 259

-20.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.53 ALL 1,433

-82.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.07 ALL 169

-38.65%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$40.7K ALL 3.3M

-25.33%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$36.2K ALL 3.0M

-34.82%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$108 ALL 8,843

-23.32%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.18 ALL 1,485

24.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.19 ALL 1,486

61.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$55.7 ALL 4,549

-8.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$25.60 ALL 2,091

-28.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$9.32 ALL 762

-47.10%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$159 ALL 13.0K

24.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,612 ALL 458.5K

-5.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$67.8 ALL 5,543

-45.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$50.6 ALL 4,136

-21.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$106 ALL 8,666

-24.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$131 ALL 10.7K

-31.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$452 ALL 36.9K

111.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$343 ALL 28.0K

39.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$612 ALL 50.0K

168.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$432 ALL 35.3K

183.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,110 ALL 172.4K

85.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,459 ALL 119.2K

342.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$595 ALL 48.6K

12.04%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lushnje: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $452 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Lushnje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $280 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 4% 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 12% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 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 $59.0 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,225 in Lushnje – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,225 in Lushnje versus $1,271 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 $1,225 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.