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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,287 in Sarande, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,177 in Sarande, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,067 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 6% lower, Sarande 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$11.94 ALL 974

0.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$58.4 ALL 4,763

-28.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$9.39 ALL 766

14.48%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.97 ALL 160

77.66%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.83 ALL 149

-20.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.93 ALL 75.5

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.92 ALL 239

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.42 ALL 279

31.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.08 ALL 170

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.14 ALL 92.8

61.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.21 ALL 180

-28.96%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.83 ALL 312

-34.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$13.15 ALL 1,072

-37.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.65 ALL 624

10.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.64 ALL 1,276

-31.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.69 ALL 138

54.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.78 ALL 227

-48.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.95 ALL 159

0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.98 ALL 161

5.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.37 ALL 112

35.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.27 ALL 103

70.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.44 ALL 117

-28.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.73 ALL 59.7

46.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.22 ALL 344

-2.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.48 ALL 529

56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.64 ALL 134

2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.15 ALL 175

17.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.16 ALL 94.6

-56.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$22.72 ALL 1,853

14.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.59 ALL 293

-10.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.10 ALL 252

-22.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.88 ALL 1,458

-81.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$2.05 ALL 167

-35.61%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

-15.49%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

-18.92%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$101 ALL 8,221

-18.64%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$18.07 ALL 1,474

27.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$18.78 ALL 1,532

60.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$89.2 ALL 7,275

-41.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$41.83 ALL 3,412

-55.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$9.65 ALL 787

-48.39%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$287 ALL 23.4K

-31.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,616 ALL 458.0K

-4.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$67.7 ALL 5,519

-47.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$49.81 ALL 4,062

-19.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$108 ALL 8,820

-27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$127 ALL 10.4K

-30.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$880 ALL 71.8K

7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$391 ALL 31.9K

21.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,135 ALL 92.6K

44.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$948 ALL 77.3K

27.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$4,652 ALL 379.4K

-12.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,937 ALL 239.5K

120.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$776 ALL 63.3K

-15.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.52

106.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sarande: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $880 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 19% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $58.0 in Sarande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $270 – 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,930 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,287 in Sarande. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 15% 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 $1,256, than in Sarande at $1,287. 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.