Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Island Garden City of Samal and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $870 a month against $1,203 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index
57

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

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Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$870

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $870 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $1,203 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $870
Playa del Carmen $1,203

A couple spends around $1,181 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,181
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,492
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Island Garden City of Samal is about 28% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Island Garden City of Samal and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Island Garden City of Samal 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ₱349

$10.72 MX$199

-48.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.51 ₱1,294

$42.71 MX$792

-51.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.89 ₱245

$11.86 MX$220

-67.20%

Cappuccino

$2.24 ₱141

$3.80 MX$70.4

-41.05%

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

$1.02 ₱64.5

$1.29 MX$23.85

-20.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱37.89

$0.82 MX$15.25

-26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ₱90.2

$3.07 MX$56.9

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.99 MX$92.4

-56.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₱130

$1.49 MX$27.58

38.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱72.4

$2.26 MX$41.93

-49.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱57.0

$1.40 MX$25.88

-35.71%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.47 MX$45.81

-17.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 ₱430

$7.25 MX$134

-5.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 ₱323

$8.09 MX$150

-36.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.22 ₱456

$12.87 MX$239

-43.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 ₱156

$2.89 MX$53.6

-14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₱78.4

$1.44 MX$26.67

-13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$2.61 MX$48.36

-6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.2

$2.13 MX$39.48

-39.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 ₱133

$1.99 MX$36.87

6.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$1.89 MX$35.10

-19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₱55.9

$1.15 MX$21.39

-22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₱45.29

$1.23 MX$22.88

-41.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 ₱159

$4.45 MX$82.5

-43.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 ₱364

$9.61 MX$178

-39.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₱78.5

$1.60 MX$29.66

-22.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱98.1

$2.68 MX$49.72

-41.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱14.93

$0.57 MX$10.48

-57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.93 ₱878

$26.54 MX$492

-47.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.2

$4.79 MX$88.8

-83.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.88

$3.29 MX$61.0

-93.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$5.39 MX$99.9

-65.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.46 MX$27.13

-15.75%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$21.1K MX$390.8K

2.10%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$23.4K MX$434.3K

-16.75%

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

$106 ₱6,690

$83.9 MX$1,555

26.42%

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

$18.77 ₱1,183

$23.11 MX$428

-18.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.91 ₱1,949

$28.32 MX$525

9.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.70 ₱2,125

$52.7 MX$977

-36.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.97 ₱566

$30.94 MX$574

-71.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 ₱293

$4.96 MX$91.9

-6.25%

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

$23.69 ₱1,494

$203 MX$3,769

-88.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,917 ₱499.3K

$5,245 MX$97.2K

50.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₱3,250

$44.12 MX$818

16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.65 ₱1,744

$41.37 MX$767

-33.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 ₱4,923

$73.8 MX$1,368

5.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.71 ₱3,135

$90.0 MX$1,668

-44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₱23.1K

$988 MX$18.3K

-62.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱17.0K

$382 MX$7,088

-29.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 ₱58.1K

$1,667 MX$30.9K

-44.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₱30.5K

$1,085 MX$20.1K

-55.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,913 ₱246.7K

$3,942 MX$73.1K

-0.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,081 ₱131.2K

$6,102 MX$113.1K

-65.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 MX$16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

11.45

-32.31%

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

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: November 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 8, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Island Garden City of Samal

$270 31.1%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 41.6% $112

Groceries & Markets

Island Garden City of Samal

$190 21.9%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.6% 36.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Island Garden City of Samal

$156 17.9%

Playa del Carmen

$135 11.3% 13.1% $20

Eating Out

Island Garden City of Samal

$101 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$201 16.7% 99.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Island Garden City of Samal

$93 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 20.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Island Garden City of Samal

$43 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$63 5.2% 45.6% $20

Getting Around

Island Garden City of Samal

$17 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 198% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Island Garden City of Samal 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $257 – making Island Garden City of Samal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

06:35 6:35 AM

13 h behind Island Garden City of Samal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,771

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.4 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 November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 63.06 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.53 MXN (100 MXN = 5.4 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Island Garden City of Samal Playa del Carmen 15,290 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Island Garden City of Samal
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

Island Garden City of Samal vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 38% more than Island Garden City of Samal, 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 $1,305 per month in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,805 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 Island Garden City of Samal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $870 in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,203 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Island Garden City of Samal about 28% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Island Garden City of Samal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $870 in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,203 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Island Garden City of Samal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 28% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.