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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,332 in Sarande, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,224 in Sarande, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,116 in Sarande, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 2% cheaper than Sarande, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sarande are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Sarande 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$10.21 ALL 806

17.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$53.6 ALL 4,233

-11.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$11.27 ALL 890

4.26%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.24 ALL 177

83.93%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.43 ALL 192

-42.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.16 ALL 91.7

-21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.74 ALL 295

-14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.29 ALL 339

64.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.34 ALL 185

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.23 ALL 97.4

74.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.52 ALL 199

-29.76%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$3.91 ALL 309

-27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$13.61 ALL 1,075

-32.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$9.18 ALL 725

0.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$17.48 ALL 1,381

-27.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.97 ALL 155

49.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.57 ALL 203

-38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.07 ALL 163

7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.95 ALL 154

21.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.09 ALL 86.2

82.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.30 ALL 103

52.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.44 ALL 114

-13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.84 ALL 66.0

44.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.81 ALL 380

-4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.37 ALL 582

42.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.76 ALL 139

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.06 ALL 163

34.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.15 ALL 90.7

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$22.82 ALL 1,802

30.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.88 ALL 306

35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.83 ALL 303

-4.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$18.76 ALL 1,482

-69.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.15 ALL 170

-28.37%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$35.4K ALL 2.8M

-35.52%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$29.3K ALL 2.3M

-11.88%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$102 ALL 8,024

-10.76%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$19.07 ALL 1,506

32.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$20.62 ALL 1,628

53.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$91.7 ALL 7,241

-24.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$41.13 ALL 3,248

-28.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$10.07 ALL 795

-51.74%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$307 ALL 24.3K

-26.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$8,429 ALL 665.7K

-50.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$74.5 ALL 5,882

-36.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$47.45 ALL 3,747

-8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$126 ALL 9,958

-36.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$114 ALL 8,993

-19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$896 ALL 70.8K

21.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$391 ALL 30.9K

4.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,137 ALL 89.8K

73.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$955 ALL 75.4K

34.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$4,685 ALL 370.0K

-13.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$2,908 ALL 229.7K

130.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$804 ALL 63.5K

-3.78%

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 Sarande: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $896 in Sarande. 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 4% higher in Sarande, 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 $54.0 in Sarande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $293 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Sarande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sarande is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,998 in Sarande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,332 in Sarande. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Sarande at $1,332. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarande it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – 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 Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sarande makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.