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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $847 in Pogradec, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,393 in Pogradec, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,938 in Pogradec, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 49% more than Pogradec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pogradec are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Pogradec 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.19 ALL 805

13.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$39.39 ALL 3,112

19.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.74 ALL 611

53.49%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.57 ALL 124

153.50%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.94 ALL 153

-26.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.65 ALL 51.1

26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.47 ALL 116

117.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.69 ALL 213

152.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.05 ALL 162

-18.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.92 ALL 72.7

139.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.10 ALL 166

-18.57%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.21 ALL 175

23.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.41 ALL 664

13.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.49 ALL 355

100.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.24 ALL 1,125

-10.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.23 ALL 97.5

134.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.35 ALL 186

-36.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.55 ALL 122

38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.24 ALL 98.2

82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.02 ALL 80.9

94.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.04 ALL 81.9

91.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.03 ALL 81.3

19.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.85 ALL 67.1

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.28 ALL 338

6.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.13 ALL 800

2.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.23 ALL 96.8

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.92 ALL 152

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.52 ALL 41.43

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$19.24 ALL 1,520

49.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.70 ALL 292

45.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.92 ALL 152

94.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$18.83 ALL 1,487

-69.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$2.24 ALL 177

-31.25%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$34.1K ALL 2.7M

-33.83%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.7K ALL 2.0M

1.23%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$63.4 ALL 5,011

44.09%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$16.30 ALL 1,288

54.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$17.24 ALL 1,362

81.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$35.85 ALL 2,832

87.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$19.00 ALL 1,501

53.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$9.05 ALL 715

-46.30%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$101 ALL 7,962

121.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$50.9 ALL 4,020

-7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$57.0 ALL 4,499

-22.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$101 ALL 8,000

-20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$148 ALL 11.7K

-37.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$185 ALL 14.6K

473.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$126 ALL 9,954

209.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$378 ALL 29.9K

468.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$248 ALL 19.6K

411.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,604 ALL 126.7K

149.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,534 ALL 121.2K

323.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$490 ALL 38.7K

54.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $185 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 55% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Pogradec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $220 – 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 49%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,270 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $847 in Pogradec. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 50% 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 $847, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.