Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iligan City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $739 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Iligan City
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Iligan City Living Index
59

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

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Iligan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in Iligan City vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iligan City $739
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,126 per month in Iligan City vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iligan City $1,126
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,514 per month in Iligan City vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iligan City $1,514
Playa del Carmen $3,016

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

Both Iligan City and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Iligan City 45% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 ₱251

$10.76 MX$199

-62.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.85 ₱1,124

$43.03 MX$795

-58.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 ₱172

$11.79 MX$218

-76.76%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ₱142

$3.87 MX$71.4

-41.60%

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

$0.67 ₱42.01

$1.37 MX$25.29

-51.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.15

$0.84 MX$15.44

-59.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.1

$3.10 MX$57.3

-63.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₱120

$5.07 MX$93.6

-62.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₱129

$1.44 MX$26.55

42.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱72.8

$2.23 MX$41.23

-47.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.7

$1.47 MX$27.17

-38.78%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱121

$2.53 MX$46.71

-23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.66 ₱357

$7.30 MX$135

-22.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱265

$7.86 MX$145

-46.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 ₱457

$12.79 MX$236

-43.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₱153

$2.90 MX$53.6

-16.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.2

$1.44 MX$26.53

6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.55 MX$47.07

-8.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱73.7

$2.06 MX$38.03

-43.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ₱126

$2.00 MX$36.97

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.01 MX$37.07

-4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱57.8

$1.19 MX$22.02

-22.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱35.82

$1.26 MX$23.23

-54.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$4.40 MX$81.4

-32.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 ₱476

$9.59 MX$177

-21.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.5

$1.59 MX$29.41

-39.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱126

$2.81 MX$51.9

-28.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.49

$0.57 MX$10.47

-54.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.63 ₱795

$27.82 MX$514

-54.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₱53.5

$4.98 MX$92.1

-82.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.33

$3.50 MX$64.6

-94.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ₱127

$5.40 MX$99.8

-62.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱73.6

$1.47 MX$27.08

-20.41%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

0.85%

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

$16.8K ₱1.1M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-29.72%

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

$129 ₱8,095

$84.2 MX$1,556

52.69%

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

$15.31 ₱964

$23.99 MX$443

-36.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 ₱1,519

$29.02 MX$536

-16.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.95 ₱2,011

$63.0 MX$1,164

-49.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.61 ₱290

$29.14 MX$539

-84.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 ₱324

$4.94 MX$91.3

4.05%

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

$131 ₱8,241

$204 MX$3,763

-35.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,881 ₱559.2K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

125.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.30 ₱2,097

$43.60 MX$806

-23.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.10 ₱1,139

$43.12 MX$797

-58.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 ₱4,422

$75.8 MX$1,400

-7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.70 ₱3,066

$88.6 MX$1,637

-45.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$111 ₱6,985

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-89.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 ₱10.8K

$374 MX$6,911

-54.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ₱32.4K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-69.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-67.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,600 ₱163.7K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-34.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$875 ₱55.1K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-85.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 ₱12.5K

$754 MX$13.9K

-73.77%

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 Iligan City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Iligan City

$184 24.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 40.5% $74

Accommodation & Living

Iligan City

$172 23.2%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 118% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iligan City

$168 22.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 18.3% $31

Eating Out

Iligan City

$81 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 151% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Iligan City

$77 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 47.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Iligan City

$42 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 72.6% $31

Getting Around

Iligan City

$16 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 237% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $111 in Iligan City versus $1,008 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 281% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $18.00 in Iligan City versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $258 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Iligan City

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

04:22 4:22 AM

13 h behind Iligan City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,618

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

Iligan City Playa del Carmen 15,320 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Iligan 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $739 in Iligan City, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 64% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,108 per month in Iligan City and $1,816 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 Iligan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 120% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Iligan City and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Iligan City 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 $739 in Iligan City to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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