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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,123 in Vlore, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,688 in Vlore, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,252 in Vlore, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 13% 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 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.37 ALL 766

26.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$37.73 ALL 3,083

13.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.21 ALL 589

47.71%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.88 ALL 153

83.51%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.65 ALL 135

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.88 ALL 71.6

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.42 ALL 198

25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.24 ALL 265

42.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.00 ALL 163

-31.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.86 ALL 69.9

115.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.04 ALL 167

-21.08%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.89 ALL 236

-10.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.10 ALL 825

-18.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.73 ALL 632

8.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.08 ALL 1,069

-18.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.88 ALL 153

39.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.47 ALL 202

-39.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.73 ALL 141

10.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.39 ALL 113

50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.06 ALL 86.5

75.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.24 ALL 101

82.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.14 ALL 92.9

-7.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.72 ALL 58.8

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.15 ALL 339

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.89 ALL 808

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.70 ALL 139

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.83 ALL 149

42.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.48 ALL 39.61

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$23.66 ALL 1,933

13.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.55 ALL 290

-11.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$4.65 ALL 380

-46.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$17.58 ALL 1,436

-82.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.19 ALL 179

-42.01%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.0K ALL 2.8M

-10.73%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

-5.36%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$67.4 ALL 5,509

23.11%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.58 ALL 1,437

29.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.63 ALL 1,277

88.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$56.6 ALL 4,624

-9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$28.20 ALL 2,304

-35.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.39 ALL 686

-41.24%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$92.8 ALL 7,580

112.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$46.29 ALL 3,782

-20.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$52.1 ALL 4,257

-23.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$94.5 ALL 7,718

-15.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$144 ALL 11.8K

-37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$483 ALL 39.5K

97.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$372 ALL 30.4K

28.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$614 ALL 50.2K

167.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$450 ALL 36.7K

172.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,062 ALL 168.5K

89.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,380 ALL 112.8K

367.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$843 ALL 68.9K

-20.90%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Vlore: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $483 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Vlore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $245 – 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 13%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,684 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,123 in Vlore. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 14% 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 $1,123, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.