Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cauayan City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $713 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cauayan City
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Cauayan City Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$713

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cauayan City and in Playa del Carmen

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

A single person spends $713 per month in Cauayan City vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cauayan City $713
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Cauayan City vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cauayan City $1,058
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,403 per month in Cauayan City vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cauayan City $1,403
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Cauayan City is about 41% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cauayan City and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Cauayan City 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 ₱249

$10.92 MX$204

-64.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.18 ₱1,034

$43.37 MX$808

-62.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 ₱175

$11.78 MX$220

-76.74%

Cappuccino

$1.73 ₱110

$3.81 MX$71.0

-54.59%

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

$0.60 ₱38.16

$1.28 MX$23.90

-53.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.43

$0.78 MX$14.59

-56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱59.9

$3.17 MX$59.0

-70.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₱97.2

$4.93 MX$92.0

-69.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱105

$1.41 MX$26.22

16.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$2.22 MX$41.33

-48.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.0

$1.42 MX$26.42

-28.17%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱128

$2.52 MX$47.03

-20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.05 ₱323

$7.26 MX$135

-30.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ₱211

$7.70 MX$143

-57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 ₱496

$12.69 MX$237

-38.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.78 MX$51.9

-18.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱96.0

$1.37 MX$25.50

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱145

$2.55 MX$47.55

-10.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.0

$2.12 MX$39.58

-51.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 ₱104

$1.94 MX$36.13

-15.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$1.89 MX$35.16

-11.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱39.39

$1.15 MX$21.37

-46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.60

$1.18 MX$21.98

-56.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₱184

$4.30 MX$80.1

-33.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.55 ₱546

$9.95 MX$185

-14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.1

$1.58 MX$29.52

-39.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₱124

$2.67 MX$49.79

-27.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.77

$0.55 MX$10.31

-63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 ₱711

$26.62 MX$496

-58.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.03

$4.97 MX$92.6

-84.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.37

$3.33 MX$62.1

-92.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱124

$5.36 MX$99.8

-63.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱57.7

$1.44 MX$26.92

-37.50%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

2.68%

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

$18.6K ₱1.2M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-20.70%

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

$136 ₱8,664

$84.8 MX$1,581

59.94%

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

$10.22 ₱653

$23.41 MX$436

-56.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.48 ₱1,436

$28.66 MX$534

-21.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.76 ₱1,966

$57.1 MX$1,063

-46.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.94 ₱316

$28.91 MX$539

-82.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 ₱318

$5.14 MX$95.8

-3.11%

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

$130 ₱8,337

$207 MX$3,851

-36.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱685.9K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

173.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.90 ₱1,846

$43.35 MX$808

-33.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.42 ₱1,241

$41.44 MX$772

-53.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 ₱3,474

$74.2 MX$1,383

-26.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 ₱3,458

$89.3 MX$1,664

-39.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 ₱14.4K

$980 MX$18.3K

-76.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ₱11.2K

$381 MX$7,099

-53.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₱29.4K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-73.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ₱20.9K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-69.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,599 ₱166.1K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-34.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,133 ₱72.4K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-81.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.45

-41.05%

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

Last update for Cauayan City: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cauayan City

$176 24.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 117% $205

Groceries & Markets

Cauayan City

$172 24.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 48.3% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cauayan City

$168 23.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 18.7% $31

Eating Out

Cauayan City

$72 10%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 183% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Cauayan City

$71 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 58.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Cauayan City

$41 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 65.3% $27

Getting Around

Cauayan City

$14 2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 263% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Cauayan City versus $980 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Cauayan City versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $255 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cauayan City

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

17:17 5:17 PM

13 h behind Cauayan City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,616

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cauayan City Playa del Carmen 14,780 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Cauayan City
Playa del Carmen

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $713 in Cauayan City, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Cauayan City comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,069 per month in Cauayan City and $1,806 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 Cauayan City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Cauayan City and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $713, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Cauayan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cauayan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Cauayan City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.