Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marawi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $718 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Marawi
Learn more

Marawi Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Marawi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in Marawi versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Marawi $718
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,100 in Marawi versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Marawi $1,100
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,482 in Marawi versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Marawi $1,482
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Marawi costs roughly 40% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Marawi 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱252

$10.67 MX$199

-62.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.15 ₱1,025

$43.80 MX$815

-63.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱173

$11.79 MX$219

-76.93%

Cappuccino

$2.13 ₱135

$3.79 MX$70.5

-43.80%

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

$0.69 ₱43.55

$1.30 MX$24.14

-46.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.10

$0.83 MX$15.51

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.3

$3.15 MX$58.6

-61.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱128

$4.93 MX$91.8

-59.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱104

$1.41 MX$26.22

16.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.0

$2.20 MX$40.86

-50.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.2

$1.47 MX$27.40

-39.46%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱118

$2.50 MX$46.46

-25.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.51 ₱350

$7.29 MX$136

-24.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱267

$7.95 MX$148

-47.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 ₱453

$12.86 MX$239

-44.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ₱152

$2.90 MX$53.9

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱98.9

$1.38 MX$25.74

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱148

$2.49 MX$46.35

-6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱73.5

$2.03 MX$37.77

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 ₱134

$2.02 MX$37.68

4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 ₱139

$1.90 MX$35.42

15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱68.9

$1.14 MX$21.30

-4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱35.58

$1.24 MX$23.05

-54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ₱181

$4.27 MX$79.5

-33.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.30 ₱463

$9.81 MX$183

-25.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱58.8

$1.59 MX$29.51

-41.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱121

$2.75 MX$51.1

-30.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.26

$0.51 MX$9.58

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.57 ₱797

$27.39 MX$510

-54.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.5

$4.76 MX$88.6

-83.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$3.25 MX$60.5

-93.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$5.39 MX$100

-65.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱74.5

$1.53 MX$28.44

-23.53%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

0.41%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-17.56%

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

$119 ₱7,578

$83.5 MX$1,554

43.06%

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

$15.62 ₱991

$23.19 MX$431

-32.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 ₱1,538

$27.61 MX$514

-12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.78 ₱1,953

$56.4 MX$1,050

-45.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.09 ₱323

$28.19 MX$525

-81.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 ₱328

$5.00 MX$93.1

3.40%

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

$130 ₱8,234

$207 MX$3,854

-37.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,809 ₱495.4K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

49.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.78 ₱2,080

$43.45 MX$809

-24.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.34 ₱1,227

$42.54 MX$792

-54.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,537

$72.8 MX$1,354

-1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 ₱3,461

$88.4 MX$1,645

-38.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.7K

$995 MX$18.5K

-75.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 ₱10.4K

$382 MX$7,116

-57.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₱31.6K

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-70.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ₱22.3K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-67.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,638 ₱167.4K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-32.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 ₱69.1K

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-82.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 ₱17.6K

$832 MX$15.5K

-66.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

11.45

-39.56%

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

Last update for Marawi: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Marawi

$179 24.9%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 44.1% $79

Accommodation & Living

Marawi

$164 22.8%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 134% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marawi

$159 22.2%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 15.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Marawi

$80 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 38.7% $31

Eating Out

Marawi

$80 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 152% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Marawi

$41 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 61.6% $25

Getting Around

Marawi

$15 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 229% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Marawi and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Marawi vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $257 per month, with Marawi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Marawi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

09:26 9:26 AM

13 h behind Marawi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,010

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.03 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Marawi Playa del Carmen 15,340 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Marawi
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $718 in Marawi and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, so Marawi is about 40% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Marawi. 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: $248 in Marawi versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $718 per month in Marawi versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Marawi is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $718 in Marawi versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Marawi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Marawi 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 Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.