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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,231 in Vlore, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,837 in Vlore, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,444 in Vlore, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Vlore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Vlore are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Vlore 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.03 ALL 792

15.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$39.69 ALL 3,135

18.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.64 ALL 604

55.50%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.99 ALL 157

100.00%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.93 ALL 152

-25.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.70 ALL 55.1

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.46 ALL 194

29.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.47 ALL 274

95.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.01 ALL 158

-16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.01 ALL 79.5

117.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.12 ALL 168

-19.34%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.70 ALL 213

1.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.38 ALL 820

-7.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.71 ALL 688

3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.63 ALL 1,156

-12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.99 ALL 157

45.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.37 ALL 187

-36.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.67 ALL 132

28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.62 ALL 128

39.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.06 ALL 83.8

86.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.32 ALL 104

50.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.22 ALL 96.7

0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.78 ALL 61.6

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.37 ALL 345

4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.92 ALL 784

4.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.76 ALL 139

-7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.91 ALL 151

50.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.51 ALL 40.53

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$25.36 ALL 2,004

13.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.83 ALL 303

40.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$3.98 ALL 314

-6.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$18.77 ALL 1,483

-69.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$2.20 ALL 174

-30.00%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$34.8K ALL 2.7M

-35.18%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.5K ALL 2.0M

2.15%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$63.2 ALL 4,990

44.68%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$16.82 ALL 1,328

49.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$17.91 ALL 1,415

74.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$57.4 ALL 4,533

17.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$29.96 ALL 2,367

-2.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.64 ALL 682

-43.75%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$102 ALL 8,034

119.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$49.88 ALL 3,941

-5.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$56.6 ALL 4,470

-21.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$101 ALL 7,993

-20.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$152 ALL 12.0K

-39.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$555 ALL 43.8K

91.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$429 ALL 33.9K

-9.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$718 ALL 56.7K

199.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$591 ALL 46.7K

115.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,141 ALL 169.2K

86.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,452 ALL 114.7K

347.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$877 ALL 69.3K

-13.53%

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 Vlore: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $555 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 16% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Vlore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $259 – 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 3%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,846 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,231 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 $1,231, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.