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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $922 in Shkoder, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,353 in Shkoder, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,784 in Shkoder, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 41% more than Shkoder, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shkoder are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Shkoder 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.04 ALL 496

94.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$32.04 ALL 2,627

29.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.61 ALL 378

130.80%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.79 ALL 147

96.65%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.57 ALL 129

-3.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.80 ALL 65.7

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.43 ALL 199

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.18 ALL 260

39.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$2.06 ALL 169

-33.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.93 ALL 75.9

103.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$2.01 ALL 165

-18.41%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.91 ALL 239

-13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$6.87 ALL 563

21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.89 ALL 401

70.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.35 ALL 849

3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.52 ALL 125

71.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.34 ALL 192

-37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.66 ALL 136

14.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.34 ALL 110

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.98 ALL 80.7

81.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.17 ALL 95.8

87.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.09 ALL 89.6

-4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.69 ALL 56.9

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.13 ALL 338

-1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$6.22 ALL 510

65.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.46 ALL 120

17.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.67 ALL 137

54.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.45 ALL 36.87

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$11.61 ALL 952

127.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$3.60 ALL 295

-9.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$3.07 ALL 252

-18.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$17.92 ALL 1,470

-81.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$2.19 ALL 180

-40.18%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$34.6K ALL 2.8M

-12.48%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

-5.80%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$67.9 ALL 5,570

21.99%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$16.90 ALL 1,386

31.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$16.11 ALL 1,321

82.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$40.50 ALL 3,321

27.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.69 ALL 958

56.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.20 ALL 590

-29.58%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$89.0 ALL 7,296

125.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$1,796 ALL 147.3K

190.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$47.65 ALL 3,907

-22.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$11.91 ALL 977

234.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$72.0 ALL 5,901

9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$142 ALL 11.6K

-38.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$310 ALL 25.4K

214.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$300 ALL 24.6K

55.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$353 ALL 28.9K

365.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$347 ALL 28.4K

251.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,819 ALL 149.1K

116.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,231 ALL 101.0K

427.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$571 ALL 46.9K

16.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

128.40%

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 Shkoder: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $310 in Shkoder. 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 16% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Shkoder. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $202 – making Shkoder 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 Shkoder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 41%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,383 in Shkoder. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shkoder, 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 $922 in Shkoder. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 128% less in Shkoder. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shkoder, where all-in costs run around $922, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Shkoder it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shkoder – 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 Shkoder. 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.