Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dagupan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Dagupan: $730 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 Dagupan
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Dagupan Living Index
58

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

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Dagupan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $730 per month in Dagupan vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dagupan $730
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Dagupan vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dagupan $1,083
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,435 per month in Dagupan vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dagupan $1,435
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Dagupan is about 39% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dagupan and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Dagupan 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ₱176

$10.92 MX$204

-74.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.82 ₱755

$43.37 MX$808

-72.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.25 ₱271

$11.78 MX$220

-63.92%

Cappuccino

$2.39 ₱153

$3.81 MX$71.0

-37.27%

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

$0.49 ₱31.45

$1.28 MX$23.90

-61.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱14.01

$0.78 MX$14.59

-71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.6

$3.17 MX$59.0

-62.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₱171

$4.93 MX$92.0

-45.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱109

$1.41 MX$26.22

21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$2.22 MX$41.33

-42.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.2

$1.42 MX$26.42

-34.51%

Eggs

$1.92 ₱122

$2.52 MX$47.03

-23.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.68 ₱363

$7.26 MX$135

-21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 ₱302

$7.70 MX$143

-38.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 ₱426

$12.69 MX$237

-47.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 ₱250

$2.78 MX$51.9

40.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.37 MX$25.50

39.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱176

$2.55 MX$47.55

8.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.7

$2.12 MX$39.58

-47.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 ₱178

$1.94 MX$36.13

43.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ₱216

$1.89 MX$35.16

78.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₱66.7

$1.15 MX$21.37

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.79

$1.18 MX$21.98

-55.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 ₱147

$4.30 MX$80.1

-46.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.36 ₱342

$9.95 MX$185

-46.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.5

$1.58 MX$29.52

-48.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱119

$2.67 MX$49.79

-30.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$0.55 MX$10.31

-63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 ₱38.49

$4.97 MX$92.6

-87.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.71

$3.33 MX$62.1

-93.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$5.36 MX$99.8

-64.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$1.44 MX$26.92

-23.61%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

1.33%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-20.19%

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

$103 ₱6,570

$84.8 MX$1,581

21.26%

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

$15.47 ₱988

$23.41 MX$436

-33.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.08 ₱1,602

$28.66 MX$534

-12.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.41 ₱2,071

$57.1 MX$1,063

-43.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$5.14 MX$95.8

-2.14%

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

$767 ₱49.0K

$207 MX$3,851

271.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,158 ₱457.3K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

82.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,828

$43.35 MX$808

38.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.65 ₱489

$41.44 MX$772

-81.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 ₱5,010

$74.2 MX$1,383

5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₱6,541

$89.3 MX$1,664

14.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$189 ₱12.1K

$980 MX$18.3K

-80.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₱10.2K

$381 MX$7,099

-58.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₱22.4K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-79.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.8K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-75.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$463 ₱29.6K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-92.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 ₱14.8K

$735 MX$13.7K

-68.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

11.45

-34.50%

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

Last update for Dagupan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dagupan

$194 26.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 31.6% $61

Accommodation & Living

Dagupan

$159 21.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 140% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dagupan

$143 19.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 4.5% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Dagupan

$112 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Dagupan

$78 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 161% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Dagupan

$42 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 58.5% $25

Getting Around

Dagupan

$2.6 * 0.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 1878% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $189 in Dagupan 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.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Dagupan versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $255 – making Dagupan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dagupan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

15:49 3:49 PM

13 h behind Dagupan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,302

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

Dagupan Playa del Carmen 14,960 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Dagupan
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,096 per month in Dagupan 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 Dagupan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $189 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Dagupan and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dagupan, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Dagupan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $730 in Dagupan to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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