Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Makati and in Playa del Carmen: $1,228 and $1,210 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
59

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

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Makati $1,228
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Makati $2,028
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Makati $2,828
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Makati is roughly 1% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$10.76 MX$199

-42.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$43.03 MX$795

-8.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$11.79 MX$218

-58.61%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$3.87 MX$71.4

-34.11%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.37 MX$25.29

-22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.84 MX$15.44

-40.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$3.10 MX$57.3

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$5.07 MX$93.6

-36.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.44 MX$26.55

31.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$2.23 MX$41.23

-42.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.47 MX$27.17

-27.89%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$2.53 MX$46.71

-2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$7.30 MX$135

-0.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$7.86 MX$145

-38.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$12.79 MX$236

-45.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$2.90 MX$53.6

39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.44 MX$26.53

34.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.55 MX$47.07

26.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$2.06 MX$38.03

11.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$2.00 MX$36.97

74.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$2.01 MX$37.07

78.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.19 MX$22.02

-10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$1.26 MX$23.23

-11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$4.40 MX$81.4

-38.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$9.59 MX$177

-15.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.59 MX$29.41

-16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$2.81 MX$51.9

-29.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$0.57 MX$10.47

57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$27.82 MX$514

104.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$4.98 MX$92.1

-86.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$3.50 MX$64.6

-94.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$5.40 MX$99.8

-64.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.47 MX$27.08

-14.97%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

1.30%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-18.17%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$84.2 MX$1,556

81.45%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$23.99 MX$443

-33.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$29.02 MX$536

11.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$63.0 MX$1,164

-12.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$29.14 MX$539

-51.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$4.94 MX$91.3

46.15%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$204 MX$3,763

290.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

85.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$43.60 MX$806

40.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$43.12 MX$797

-14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$75.8 MX$1,400

7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$88.6 MX$1,637

16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$374 MX$6,911

11.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

33.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-3.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

48.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-39.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$754 MX$13.9K

-20.27%

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 Makati: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 10.4% $43

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 11.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 31.8% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 11.2% $14

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 69.1% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 5.1% $3.6

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 15.3% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $258 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

16:58 4:58 PM

13 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

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 18, 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 18, 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

Makati Playa del Carmen 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Makati
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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $815 in Makati versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 104% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.