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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,141 in Vlore, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,671 in Vlore, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,200 in Vlore, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 10% more than Vlore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Vlore are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Vlore 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.37 ALL 761

25.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$37.70 ALL 3,063

11.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.86 ALL 558

53.21%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.86 ALL 151

93.01%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.64 ALL 133

-7.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.87 ALL 70.9

5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.43 ALL 197

21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.21 ALL 261

37.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.03 ALL 165

-31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.93 ALL 75.2

102.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.97 ALL 160

-20.81%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.91 ALL 237

-10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.60 ALL 780

-13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.68 ALL 624

8.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.17 ALL 1,070

-17.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.83 ALL 148

48.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.40 ALL 195

-37.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.66 ALL 135

12.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.40 ALL 114

56.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.00 ALL 81.6

86.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.23 ALL 99.9

81.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.15 ALL 93.7

-6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.72 ALL 58.7

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.17 ALL 339

0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.19 ALL 828

2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.75 ALL 142

-5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.83 ALL 149

42.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.46 ALL 37.37

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$23.85 ALL 1,938

9.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.54 ALL 287

-12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$4.75 ALL 386

-49.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$17.94 ALL 1,457

-82.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.16 ALL 176

-39.35%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$35.2K ALL 2.9M

-15.40%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

-9.28%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$67.1 ALL 5,452

21.13%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.69 ALL 1,437

27.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$15.73 ALL 1,278

91.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$56.5 ALL 4,591

-6.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$27.40 ALL 2,226

-32.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$8.39 ALL 682

-41.36%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$94.7 ALL 7,696

112.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$46.26 ALL 3,758

-22.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$52.8 ALL 4,293

-24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$95.4 ALL 7,747

-16.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$141 ALL 11.5K

-38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$482 ALL 39.2K

102.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$367 ALL 29.8K

28.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$622 ALL 50.5K

165.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$450 ALL 36.6K

167.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,074 ALL 168.5K

90.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,376 ALL 111.8K

380.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$852 ALL 69.2K

-20.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

185.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Vlore: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $482 in Vlore. 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 26% higher in Vlore, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Vlore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $244 – making Vlore 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 Vlore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,712 in Vlore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vlore, 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,141 in Vlore. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Vlore. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vlore, where all-in costs run around $1,141, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Vlore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vlore – 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 Vlore. 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.