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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,308 in Sarande, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,199 in Sarande, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,090 in Sarande, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 1% cheaper than Sarande, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sarande are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Sarande 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$11.90 ALL 973

-1.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$58.0 ALL 4,742

-28.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$9.50 ALL 778

12.00%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.05 ALL 167

71.71%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.91 ALL 156

-20.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.97 ALL 79.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.92 ALL 239

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.45 ALL 282

28.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.06 ALL 168

-33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.08 ALL 88.7

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.22 ALL 182

-26.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$4.02 ALL 329

-37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.23 ALL 1,083

-36.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.61 ALL 623

9.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.84 ALL 1,296

-32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.79 ALL 146

45.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.80 ALL 229

-47.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.99 ALL 163

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.92 ALL 157

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.32 ALL 108

34.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.32 ALL 108

65.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.44 ALL 118

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.74 ALL 60.9

45.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.29 ALL 351

-4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.66 ALL 545

54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.65 ALL 135

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.08 ALL 170

24.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.14 ALL 93.1

-55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$22.80 ALL 1,865

16.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.49 ALL 286

-6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.17 ALL 259

-21.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.69 ALL 1,447

-81.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$2.05 ALL 168

-36.10%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.9K ALL 2.9M

-13.16%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

-19.65%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$102 ALL 8,362

-18.93%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$18.17 ALL 1,487

22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.44 ALL 1,509

59.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$92.4 ALL 7,557

-44.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$41.04 ALL 3,358

-55.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.53 ALL 780

-46.80%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$290 ALL 23.8K

-30.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,487 ALL 448.9K

-5.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$68.3 ALL 5,588

-45.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$51.1 ALL 4,179

-22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$108 ALL 8,852

-27.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$128 ALL 10.5K

-32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$852 ALL 69.7K

14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$379 ALL 31.0K

23.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,099 ALL 89.9K

49.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$951 ALL 77.8K

28.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$4,646 ALL 380.1K

-15.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$2,976 ALL 243.4K

118.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$776 ALL 63.5K

-14.43%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sarande: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $852 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 17% 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 $272 – 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 1%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,962 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,308 in Sarande. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 16% 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 $1,297, than in Sarande at $1,308. 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.