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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,012 in Pogradec, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,536 in Pogradec, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,059 in Pogradec, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 24% more than Pogradec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pogradec are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Pogradec 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$8.45 ALL 687

38.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$37.70 ALL 3,063

11.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.24 ALL 588

45.17%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.95 ALL 77.2

277.89%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.60 ALL 130

-5.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.69 ALL 55.9

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.39 ALL 113

112.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.62 ALL 213

68.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.00 ALL 162

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.90 ALL 73.0

108.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.94 ALL 157

-19.59%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.06 ALL 168

26.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.47 ALL 607

11.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.22 ALL 343

97.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.30 ALL 1,080

-18.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.17 ALL 95.0

131.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.44 ALL 199

-38.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.43 ALL 117

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.15 ALL 93.6

90.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.92 ALL 74.8

102.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.95 ALL 77.6

134.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.98 ALL 79.6

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.77 ALL 62.8

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.02 ALL 327

4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.00 ALL 813

4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.15 ALL 93.8

44.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.73 ALL 141

50.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.48 ALL 39.04

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$19.10 ALL 1,551

36.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.44 ALL 279

-10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.55 ALL 126

54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$17.75 ALL 1,442

-82.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.17 ALL 177

-39.63%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.9K ALL 2.8M

-14.53%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

-6.33%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$68.4 ALL 5,557

18.83%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.21 ALL 1,398

31.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$16.15 ALL 1,312

86.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$55.9 ALL 4,544

-5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$24.92 ALL 2,025

-26.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$7.99 ALL 649

-38.42%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$95.1 ALL 7,724

111.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$47.49 ALL 3,858

-24.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$53.0 ALL 4,308

-24.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$93.7 ALL 7,609

-14.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$141 ALL 11.5K

-38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$455 ALL 37.0K

114.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$339 ALL 27.5K

38.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$618 ALL 50.2K

167.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$431 ALL 35.0K

178.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,551 ALL 126.0K

154.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,448 ALL 117.7K

356.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$465 ALL 37.8K

45.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

185.50%

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 Pogradec: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $455 in Pogradec. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 45% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Pogradec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $207 – making Pogradec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 24%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,519 in Pogradec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pogradec, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,012 in Pogradec. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Pogradec. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pogradec, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Pogradec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pogradec – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Pogradec. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.