Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zabljak

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabljak: $1,128 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Zabljak
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Zabljak Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Zabljak

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Zabljak

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Zabljak actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,128 in Zabljak, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Zabljak $1,128

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,769 in Zabljak, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Zabljak $1,769

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,410 in Zabljak, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Zabljak $2,410

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% more than Zabljak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zabljak are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Zabljak 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$7.95 €7.08

36.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$31.82 €28.30

38.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$6.55 €5.82

79.54%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.63 €1.45

125.77%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.24 €2.00

-40.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.45 €1.29

-43.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$3.00 €2.66

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$3.54 €3.15

39.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.27 €1.13

15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.65 €0.57

241.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.31 €1.17

12.98%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.97 €2.64

-16.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$7.08 €6.30

6.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$7.22 €6.42

10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$12.23 €10.88

2.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.32 €1.17

110.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.67 €1.49

-14.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.51 €1.34

73.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.41 €1.26

51.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.65 €0.58

210.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.70 €0.62

184.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.91 €0.81

25.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.96 €0.86

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$4.01 €3.57

6.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$4.41 €3.92

127.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.07 €0.95

43.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.73 €1.54

53.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.63 €1.45

-67.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$39.55 €35.18

-30.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.14 €1.02

329.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.64 €0.57

435.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$17.00 €15.12

-68.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.77 €1.57

-18.08%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$29.3K €26.1K

-27.84%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$25.6K €22.7K

-9.94%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$113 €101

-24.61%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$15.02 €13.36

56.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$22.02 €19.58

29.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$46.30 €41.18

34.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$14.72 €13.10

94.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$6.21 €5.53

-17.87%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$392 €349

-48.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$9,812 €8,728

-59.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$22.65 €20.15

95.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$27.47 €24.43

50.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$55.0 €48.89

32.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$67.7 €60.2

32.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$645 €573

51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$455 €405

-18.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,277 €1,135

31.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$937 €834

16.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$3,324 €2,956

18.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$2,357 €2,097

160.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$801 €713

-7.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.95

92.44%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Zabljak: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Zabljak

$455 40.3% 22% $82

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Zabljak

$196 17.4% 24% $62

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Zabljak

$140 12.4% 30.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Zabljak

$150 13.3% 9.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Zabljak

$78 6.9% 30.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Zabljak

$59 5.2% 18.9% $14

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Zabljak

$50 4.5% 2.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $645 in Zabljak. 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 9% higher in Zabljak, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Zabljak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $196 – making Zabljak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇪 Zabljak

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

05:31 5:31 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,900

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Zabljak 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Zabljak

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zabljak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,692 in Zabljak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zabljak, 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,128 in Zabljak. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Zabljak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zabljak, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Zabljak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zabljak – 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 Zabljak. 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.