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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,271 in Ulcinj, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,958 in Ulcinj, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,646 in Ulcinj, rent included.

Playa del Carmen and Ulcinj have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ulcinj are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ulcinj 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$11.48 €10.00

1.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$37.09 €32.31

27.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$8.25 €7.18

44.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.28 €1.99

74.56%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$2.26 €1.97

-36.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$1.63 €1.42

-49.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.28 €1.99

39.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.43 €2.99

97.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.18 €1.03

42.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.66 €0.58

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.88 €2.51

-40.63%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.98 €1.73

38.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.12 €7.95

5.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.67 €6.68

17.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$13.33 €11.61

-3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.38 €1.20

109.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.60 €1.39

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.05 €0.91

104.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.24 €1.08

82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.73 €0.63

171.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.29 €1.12

54.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.49 €1.30

-17.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.96 €0.84

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.93 €3.42

15.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$4.49 €3.91

130.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.31 €1.14

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.79 €1.56

60.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.64 €1.43

-63.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$46.24 €40.28

-37.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.19 €1.04

352.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.18 €1.03

216.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$17.48 €15.23

-66.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.65 €1.44

-6.67%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$34.1K €29.7K

-33.94%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$21.5K €18.8K

20.94%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$136 €119

-33.04%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$13.40 €11.67

88.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$26.11 €22.75

19.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$22.85 €19.91

194.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$16.13 €14.05

80.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$8.14 €7.09

-40.29%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$461 €402

-51.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,298 €6,358

-42.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$87.9 €76.6

-46.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$34.45 €30.02

28.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$76.1 €66.3

5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$98.0 €85.3

-5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$722 €629

47.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$509 €443

-23.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,413 €1,231

52.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$983 €856

29.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$3,459 €3,013

15.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,404 €2,094

170.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ulcinj: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $722 in Ulcinj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Ulcinj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $212 – making Ulcinj 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 Ulcinj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,906 in Ulcinj. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Ulcinj – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $461 in Ulcinj. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Ulcinj at $1,271. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulcinj 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ulcinj makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.