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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $927 in Shkoder, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,350 in Shkoder, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,772 in Shkoder, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 35% more than Shkoder, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shkoder are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Shkoder 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.95 ALL 486

101.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$32.15 ALL 2,622

29.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.84 ALL 395

122.11%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.81 ALL 148

93.37%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.60 ALL 130

-9.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.82 ALL 66.5

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.31 ALL 189

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.36 ALL 274

34.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.06 ALL 168

-30.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.87 ALL 71.2

111.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.95 ALL 159

-19.49%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.94 ALL 239

-14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.87 ALL 560

20.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.99 ALL 407

68.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.33 ALL 842

3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.52 ALL 124

71.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.37 ALL 193

-39.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.74 ALL 142

12.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.38 ALL 112

51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.01 ALL 82.5

83.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.21 ALL 98.7

79.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.11 ALL 90.2

-7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.74 ALL 60.2

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.09 ALL 334

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.02 ALL 491

68.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.44 ALL 118

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.72 ALL 141

47.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.49 ALL 39.86

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$11.40 ALL 930

128.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.46 ALL 282

-6.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.12 ALL 255

-22.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.64 ALL 1,439

-81.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$2.10 ALL 171

-37.14%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.2K ALL 2.9M

-15.54%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.0K ALL 2.0M

-5.21%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$66.9 ALL 5,455

22.62%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$16.83 ALL 1,373

36.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$16.08 ALL 1,311

87.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$41.52 ALL 3,386

25.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$11.87 ALL 969

56.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.02 ALL 573

-29.06%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$87.5 ALL 7,138

125.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,756 ALL 143.2K

203.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$46.51 ALL 3,793

-23.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$11.56 ALL 943

248.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$69.6 ALL 5,672

13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$142 ALL 11.6K

-37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$306 ALL 24.9K

209.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$298 ALL 24.3K

59.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$357 ALL 29.1K

360.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$339 ALL 27.6K

257.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,825 ALL 148.9K

122.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,223 ALL 99.7K

429.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$572 ALL 46.7K

14.27%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shkoder: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $306 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 14% 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 $203 – 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 35%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,391 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $927 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 $927, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.