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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,007 in Pogradec, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,499 in Pogradec, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,991 in Pogradec, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 26% 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 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.02 ALL 655

48.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$37.69 ALL 3,079

13.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.28 ALL 595

46.29%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.93 ALL 75.7

270.97%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.60 ALL 131

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.70 ALL 56.8

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.37 ALL 112

121.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.52 ALL 206

82.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.02 ALL 165

-31.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.85 ALL 69.5

117.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.02 ALL 165

-20.30%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.06 ALL 168

25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.43 ALL 607

11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.14 ALL 338

102.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.17 ALL 1,076

-19.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.16 ALL 94.9

126.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.37 ALL 193

-37.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.39 ALL 113

38.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.20 ALL 98.2

74.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.93 ALL 75.8

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.97 ALL 79.1

132.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.97 ALL 79.3

9.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.72 ALL 58.6

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.96 ALL 324

4.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.93 ALL 811

4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.17 ALL 95.3

47.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.76 ALL 144

48.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.48 ALL 39.34

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$19.06 ALL 1,557

41.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.47 ALL 283

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.60 ALL 130

56.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.57 ALL 1,436

-82.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.11 ALL 172

-39.81%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.0K ALL 2.8M

-10.60%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

-5.58%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$67.0 ALL 5,476

23.83%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.67 ALL 1,444

28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.99 ALL 1,306

84.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$55.3 ALL 4,520

-7.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$25.27 ALL 2,064

-27.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.05 ALL 658

-38.76%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$94.0 ALL 7,680

109.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$46.63 ALL 3,810

-20.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$53.6 ALL 4,378

-25.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.8 ALL 7,830

-16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$142 ALL 11.6K

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$443 ALL 36.2K

115.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$338 ALL 27.6K

41.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$611 ALL 49.9K

169.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$437 ALL 35.7K

180.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,552 ALL 126.8K

152.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,451 ALL 118.6K

345.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$462 ALL 37.7K

44.44%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 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 44% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Pogradec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $206 – 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 26%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,510 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,007 in Pogradec. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 41% 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 $1,007, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.