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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,308 per month in Sarande vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,199 per month in Sarande vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,090 per month in Sarande vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sarande costs about 1% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Sarande and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sarande 2% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 ALL 973

$11.73 MX$203

1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 ALL 4,742

$41.62 MX$720

39.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 ALL 778

$10.64 MX$184

-10.71%

Cappuccino

$2.05 ALL 167

$3.52 MX$60.9

-41.76%

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

$1.91 ALL 156

$1.51 MX$26.12

26.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 ALL 79.4

$0.97 MX$16.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ALL 239

$2.95 MX$51.0

-1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ALL 282

$4.45 MX$77.0

-22.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ALL 168

$1.38 MX$23.93

49.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ALL 88.7

$1.89 MX$32.72

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ALL 182

$1.64 MX$28.32

35.37%

Eggs

$4.02 ALL 329

$2.51 MX$43.34

60.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 ALL 1,083

$8.34 MX$144

58.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 ALL 623

$8.34 MX$144

-8.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 ALL 1,296

$10.73 MX$186

47.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ALL 146

$2.60 MX$45.04

-31.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 ALL 229

$1.46 MX$25.20

91.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ALL 163

$1.90 MX$32.87

4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 ALL 157

$2.08 MX$35.91

-7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$1.78 MX$30.71

-25.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$2.19 MX$37.80

-39.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ALL 118

$1.04 MX$17.99

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ALL 60.9

$1.08 MX$18.62

-31.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ALL 351

$4.08 MX$70.6

5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 ALL 545

$10.32 MX$178

-35.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ALL 135

$1.71 MX$29.61

-3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ALL 170

$2.58 MX$44.54

-19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ALL 93.1

$0.51 MX$8.81

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.80 ALL 1,865

$26.46 MX$458

-13.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ALL 286

$3.26 MX$56.4

7.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 ALL 259

$2.49 MX$43.09

27.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.69 ALL 1,447

$3.25 MX$56.2

444.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 168

$1.31 MX$22.61

56.49%

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

$34.9K ALL 2.9M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

15.15%

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

$29.2K ALL 2.4M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

24.46%

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

$102 ALL 8,362

$82.9 MX$1,433

23.35%

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

$18.17 ALL 1,487

$22.22 MX$384

-18.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.44 ALL 1,509

$29.34 MX$507

-37.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 ALL 7,557

$51.6 MX$893

78.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.04 ALL 3,358

$18.32 MX$317

124.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 ALL 780

$5.07 MX$87.6

87.97%

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

$290 ALL 23.8K

$201 MX$3,473

44.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,487 ALL 448.9K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

5.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 ALL 5,588

$36.92 MX$639

85.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 ALL 4,179

$39.79 MX$688

28.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ALL 8,852

$78.5 MX$1,357

37.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ALL 10.5K

$87.1 MX$1,506

47.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ALL 69.7K

$973 MX$16.8K

-12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ALL 31.0K

$468 MX$8,090

-19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 ALL 89.9K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-33.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 ALL 77.8K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-22.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,646 ALL 380.1K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

17.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,976 ALL 243.4K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-54.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$776 ALL 63.5K

$664 MX$11.5K

16.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

11.42

-51.66%

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

Last update for Sarande: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $852 in Sarande versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. 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 17% higher in Sarande, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Sarande versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen 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

Sarande vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sarande is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,962 per month in Sarande and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,308 in Sarande and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Sarande at $1,308. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarande 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.

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