Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clark Freeport and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Clark Freeport: $728 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Clark Freeport
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Clark Freeport Living Index
59

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

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Clark Freeport

🇵🇭 Philippines

$728

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Clark Freeport 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 Clark Freeport and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $728 in Clark Freeport versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Clark Freeport $728
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,107 in Clark Freeport versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Clark Freeport $1,107
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,485 in Clark Freeport versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Clark Freeport $1,485
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Clark Freeport costs roughly 40% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Clark Freeport 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱239

$10.86 MX$201

-65.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.54 ₱1,042

$44.21 MX$817

-62.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱174

$11.76 MX$217

-76.53%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₱143

$3.68 MX$68.0

-38.32%

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

$0.62 ₱39.17

$1.34 MX$24.79

-53.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.41

$0.82 MX$15.24

-62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.7

$3.06 MX$56.6

-61.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₱120

$4.94 MX$91.2

-61.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.47 MX$27.17

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱72.8

$2.22 MX$40.95

-47.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.3

$1.48 MX$27.32

-38.51%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$2.49 MX$45.99

-21.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 ₱341

$7.52 MX$139

-27.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ₱264

$7.96 MX$147

-47.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 ₱446

$12.57 MX$232

-43.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$2.78 MX$51.3

-15.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱99.7

$1.43 MX$26.37

10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$2.62 MX$48.37

-7.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱70.3

$2.14 MX$39.49

-47.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$2.02 MX$37.38

-3.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.99 MX$36.74

-2.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱57.7

$1.14 MX$21.01

-19.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.79

$1.20 MX$22.18

-51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₱190

$4.26 MX$78.7

-29.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 ₱488

$10.02 MX$185

-22.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.4

$1.54 MX$28.41

-37.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$2.66 MX$49.17

-30.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.58

$0.53 MX$9.73

-62.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.93 ₱688

$27.51 MX$508

-60.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.09

$4.90 MX$90.6

-85.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$3.43 MX$63.5

-93.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$5.38 MX$99.4

-63.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.3

$1.45 MX$26.76

-14.48%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

2.18%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-16.79%

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

$124 ₱7,804

$85.4 MX$1,577

45.21%

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

$14.89 ₱937

$23.46 MX$434

-36.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.30 ₱1,530

$28.43 MX$525

-14.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 ₱2,012

$62.2 MX$1,149

-48.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.77 ₱300

$28.68 MX$530

-83.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₱332

$5.10 MX$94.3

3.33%

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

$135 ₱8,486

$201 MX$3,715

-32.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,924 ₱498.9K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

100.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.07 ₱2,082

$44.39 MX$820

-25.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.65 ₱1,237

$41.35 MX$764

-52.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,503

$72.7 MX$1,344

-1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.2 ₱3,536

$89.6 MX$1,656

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.7K

$979 MX$18.1K

-72.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.7K

$373 MX$6,887

-54.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 ₱32.0K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-69.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₱22.1K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-67.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 ₱150.2K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-39.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$991 ₱62.4K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-83.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 ₱19.7K

$738 MX$13.6K

-57.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.45

-40.70%

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

Last update for Clark Freeport: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Clark Freeport

$179 24.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 44.7% $80

Accommodation & Living

Clark Freeport

$170 23.4%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 119% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clark Freeport

$163 22.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 15.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Clark Freeport

$81 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 37.5% $30

Eating Out

Clark Freeport

$79 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 153% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Clark Freeport

$43 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 70.3% $30

Getting Around

Clark Freeport

$14 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 280% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Clark Freeport and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 135% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Clark Freeport vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $258 per month, with Clark Freeport cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Clark Freeport

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

09:24 9:24 AM

13 h behind Clark Freeport

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Clark Freeport Playa del Carmen 15,020 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Clark Freeport
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

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

Clark Freeport and Playa del Carmen differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($728 vs $1,204 including rent). Clark Freeport is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 135% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $266 in Clark Freeport versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Clark Freeport – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $728 per month in Clark Freeport versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $728 in Clark Freeport versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Clark Freeport but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Clark Freeport the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Clark Freeport and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Clark Freeport gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.