Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maasin City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Maasin City: $731 a month against $1,202 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 Maasin City
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Maasin City Living Index
57

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

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Maasin City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Maasin City versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Maasin City $731
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,126 in Maasin City versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Maasin City $1,126
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,521 in Maasin City versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Maasin City $1,521
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Maasin City costs roughly 39% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 ₱251

$10.67 MX$199

-63.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.11 ₱1,469

$43.80 MX$815

-47.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.86 ₱245

$11.79 MX$219

-67.26%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$3.79 MX$70.5

-33.25%

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

$0.63 ₱39.98

$1.30 MX$24.14

-51.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.81

$0.83 MX$15.51

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 ₱106

$3.15 MX$58.6

-46.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₱136

$4.93 MX$91.8

-56.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₱120

$1.41 MX$26.22

34.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$2.20 MX$40.86

-48.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₱52.0

$1.47 MX$27.40

-44.22%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$2.50 MX$46.47

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.76 ₱303

$7.29 MX$136

-34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₱273

$7.95 MX$148

-45.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 ₱472

$12.86 MX$239

-42.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.7

$2.90 MX$53.9

-46.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 ₱38.80

$1.38 MX$25.74

-55.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ₱102

$2.49 MX$46.36

-35.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ₱96.3

$2.03 MX$37.78

-25.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱150

$2.02 MX$37.69

16.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ₱124

$1.90 MX$35.42

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.1

$1.14 MX$21.30

-3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.46

$1.24 MX$23.06

-52.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱179

$4.27 MX$79.5

-33.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 ₱392

$9.81 MX$183

-37.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₱76.6

$1.59 MX$29.51

-23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₱105

$2.75 MX$51.1

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.27

$0.51 MX$9.58

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 ₱773

$27.39 MX$510

-55.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.56

$4.76 MX$88.6

-84.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

$3.25 MX$60.5

-93.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$5.39 MX$100

-65.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₱86.7

$1.53 MX$28.44

-11.11%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

-2.63%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-18.80%

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

$119 ₱7,566

$83.5 MX$1,554

42.53%

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

$15.32 ₱974

$23.19 MX$431

-33.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.59 ₱1,754

$27.61 MX$514

-0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.54 ₱2,005

$56.4 MX$1,050

-44.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.33 ₱339

$28.19 MX$525

-81.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ₱352

$5.00 MX$93.1

10.80%

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

$132 ₱8,362

$207 MX$3,854

-36.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,821 ₱497.3K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

49.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.36 ₱2,058

$43.45 MX$809

-25.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.28 ₱1,226

$42.54 MX$792

-54.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 ₱4,820

$72.8 MX$1,354

4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,677

$88.4 MX$1,645

-34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 ₱16.1K

$995 MX$18.5K

-74.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$382 MX$7,116

-55.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 ₱30.5K

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-71.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₱22.3K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-67.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,608 ₱165.8K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-33.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 ₱71.0K

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-81.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 ₱7,923

$832 MX$15.5K

-85.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.45

-37.12%

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

Last update for Maasin City: 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

Maasin City

$170 23.2%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 125% $213

Groceries & Markets

Maasin City

$168 23%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 52.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maasin City

$162 22.1%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 17.1% $28

Eating Out

Maasin City

$91 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 121% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Maasin City

$83 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 33.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Maasin City

$43 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 55.9% $24

Getting Around

Maasin City

$15 2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 239% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Maasin City and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 6.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Maasin City vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $257 per month, with Maasin City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Maasin City

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

14:29 2:29 PM

13 h behind Maasin City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,560

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Maasin City Playa del Carmen 15,130 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Maasin 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

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

Maasin City is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Maasin City. 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: $253 in Maasin City versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maasin City – a meal for two runs $23 versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Maasin City versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maasin City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maasin City 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.

Expats usually find Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.