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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,263 in Lushnje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,888 in Lushnje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,514 in Lushnje.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Lushnje, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Lushnje 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.88 ALL 780

21.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$52.9 ALL 4,174

-10.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$11.50 ALL 908

2.17%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.39 ALL 189

72.38%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.41 ALL 190

-41.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.27 ALL 100

-28.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.69 ALL 292

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.08 ALL 322

73.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.30 ALL 182

-26.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.28 ALL 101

67.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.42 ALL 191

-26.86%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.87 ALL 306

-27.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$13.69 ALL 1,081

-32.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$9.48 ALL 749

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$17.26 ALL 1,363

-26.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.94 ALL 153

52.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.48 ALL 196

-36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.20 ALL 174

0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.86 ALL 147

26.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.04 ALL 82.4

91.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.27 ALL 100

55.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.42 ALL 112

-12.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.76 ALL 60.0

59.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.84 ALL 382

-4.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.13 ALL 879

-5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.82 ALL 143

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.13 ALL 168

30.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.51 ALL 40.42

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$20.36 ALL 1,608

45.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.67 ALL 290

42.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.71 ALL 293

-1.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$18.55 ALL 1,465

-68.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.37 ALL 188

-35.02%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$34.4K ALL 2.7M

-33.72%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$36.2K ALL 2.9M

-28.79%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$104 ALL 8,242

-13.12%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$18.89 ALL 1,492

33.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$20.61 ALL 1,628

54.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$58.0 ALL 4,583

18.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$9.94 ALL 785

-51.11%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$358 ALL 28.3K

-37.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$8,359 ALL 660.2K

-49.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$50.0 ALL 3,950

-5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$47.35 ALL 3,740

-8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$124 ALL 9,821

-35.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$113 ALL 8,928

-19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$489 ALL 38.6K

122.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$338 ALL 26.7K

20.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$734 ALL 58.0K

168.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$483 ALL 38.2K

165.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,899 ALL 150.0K

113.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,241 ALL 98.0K

440.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$624 ALL 49.2K

24.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.64

103.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lushnje: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $489 in Lushnje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 24% 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 $53.0 in Lushnje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $300 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.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $489 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 $53.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,263 in Lushnje – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,263 in Lushnje versus $1,305 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 $1,263 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.