Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dipolog and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Dipolog: $776 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Dipolog
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Dipolog Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Dipolog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$776

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $776 per month in Dipolog vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dipolog $776
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Dipolog vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dipolog $1,132
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,488 per month in Dipolog vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dipolog $1,488
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Dipolog is about 35% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dipolog and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Dipolog 43% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.53 ₱97.3

$10.67 MX$201

-85.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 ₱1,221

$43.80 MX$824

-56.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.07 ₱195

$11.79 MX$222

-73.96%

Cappuccino

$1.55 ₱98.6

$3.79 MX$71.2

-59.10%

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

$0.37 ₱23.78

$1.30 MX$24.41

-71.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.59

$0.83 MX$15.69

-72.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₱69.3

$3.15 MX$59.2

-65.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱99.2

$4.93 MX$92.9

-68.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₱97.8

$1.41 MX$26.51

9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$2.20 MX$41.32

-63.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₱51.1

$1.47 MX$27.71

-44.90%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱124

$2.50 MX$46.99

-22.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.67 ₱296

$7.29 MX$137

-35.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 ₱290

$7.95 MX$150

-42.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 ₱350

$12.86 MX$242

-57.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.8

$2.90 MX$54.5

-46.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₱78.3

$1.38 MX$26.03

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ₱127

$2.49 MX$46.88

-19.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.2

$2.03 MX$38.20

-54.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 ₱120

$2.02 MX$38.11

-6.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₱98.9

$1.90 MX$35.82

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₱64.2

$1.14 MX$21.54

-11.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.18

$1.24 MX$23.32

-51.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 ₱173

$4.27 MX$80.4

-36.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.04 ₱256

$9.81 MX$185

-58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₱72.5

$1.59 MX$29.85

-28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₱101

$2.75 MX$51.7

-42.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.29

$0.51 MX$9.69

-49.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.55 ₱924

$27.39 MX$515

-46.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ₱66.4

$4.76 MX$89.6

-77.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.69

$3.25 MX$61.1

-93.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$5.39 MX$101

-65.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₱54.0

$1.53 MX$28.76

-44.44%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.2K MX$399.2K

0.05%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$23.3K MX$437.8K

-17.71%

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

$67.9 ₱4,311

$83.5 MX$1,571

-18.67%

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

$8.09 ₱514

$23.19 MX$436

-65.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.89 ₱1,517

$27.61 MX$520

-13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 ₱2,029

$56.4 MX$1,062

-43.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 ₱347

$5.00 MX$94.1

9.40%

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

$297 ₱18.9K

$207 MX$3,897

43.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,827 ₱433.5K

$5,231 MX$98.4K

30.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 ₱3,238

$43.45 MX$818

17.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.96 ₱1,648

$42.54 MX$801

-38.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ₱5,022

$72.8 MX$1,369

8.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 ₱4,239

$88.4 MX$1,663

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 ₱26.2K

$995 MX$18.7K

-58.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ₱19.8K

$382 MX$7,197

-18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₱48.4K

$1,674 MX$31.5K

-54.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₱30.7K

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-55.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,505 ₱222.5K

$3,909 MX$73.6K

-10.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,701 ₱171.5K

$6,138 MX$115.5K

-55.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$236 ₱15.0K

$832 MX$15.7K

-71.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-38.86%

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

Last update for Dipolog: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dipolog

$311 40.1%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 22.8% $71

Groceries & Markets

Dipolog

$153 19.7%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 68.6% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Dipolog

$100 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 10.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dipolog

$100 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 34.4% $34

Eating Out

Dipolog

$51 6.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 292% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Dipolog

$43 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 54.8% $24

Getting Around

Dipolog

$18 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 186% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $413 in Dipolog versus $995 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 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dipolog versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $257 – making Dipolog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dipolog

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

05:46 5:46 AM

13 h behind Dipolog

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,759

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.49 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.17 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dipolog Playa del Carmen 15,370 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Dipolog
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 55% more than Dipolog, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Dipolog and $1,804 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 Dipolog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $413 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Dipolog 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 69% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $776 in Dipolog to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Dipolog. 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.