Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naga and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $552 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Naga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$552

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $552 in Naga versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Naga $552
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $845 in Naga versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Naga $845
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,138 in Naga versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Naga $1,138
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Naga costs roughly 54% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Naga 59% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.10 ₱327

$10.92 MX$203

-53.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 ₱855

$43.37 MX$808

-69.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱177

$11.78 MX$219

-76.49%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ₱175

$3.81 MX$71.0

-28.08%

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

$0.67 ₱42.96

$1.28 MX$23.89

-47.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱14.05

$0.78 MX$14.58

-71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ₱83.6

$3.17 MX$59.0

-58.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₱198

$4.93 MX$91.9

-37.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱125

$1.41 MX$26.20

38.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₱51.1

$2.22 MX$41.30

-63.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₱49.35

$1.42 MX$26.40

-45.77%

Eggs

$1.68 ₱107

$2.52 MX$47.00

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 ₱644

$7.26 MX$135

38.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 ₱264

$7.70 MX$143

-46.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.84 ₱438

$12.69 MX$236

-46.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$2.78 MX$51.9

-31.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₱106

$1.37 MX$25.49

21.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱154

$2.55 MX$47.52

-5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 ₱152

$2.12 MX$39.55

11.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 ₱162

$1.94 MX$36.11

30.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 ₱142

$1.89 MX$35.13

16.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.63 ₱296

$1.15 MX$21.36

302.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.44

$1.18 MX$21.96

-49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 ₱177

$4.30 MX$80.0

-35.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.77 ₱241

$9.95 MX$185

-62.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₱97.8

$1.58 MX$29.50

-3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 ₱36.89

$4.97 MX$92.6

-88.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.1

$1.44 MX$26.90

-17.36%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

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

$97.7 ₱6,253

$84.8 MX$1,580

15.24%

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

$23.84 ₱1,526

$23.41 MX$436

1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.59 ₱1,638

$28.66 MX$534

-10.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.73 ₱495

$57.1 MX$1,063

-86.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 ₱307

$5.14 MX$95.7

-6.61%

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

$207 MX$3,848

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,801 ₱499.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

98.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱10.1K

$980 MX$18.2K

-83.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.9 ₱5,496

$381 MX$7,095

-77.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 ₱15.4K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-85.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.5K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-81.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$138 ₱8,857

$735 MX$13.7K

-81.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Naga: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Naga

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Naga

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Naga

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Naga

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Naga

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Naga

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Naga

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $158 in Naga and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Naga vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $255 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Naga

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

03:19 3:19 AM

13 h behind Naga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,750

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.41 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Naga Playa del Carmen 14,970 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Naga
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $552 in Naga and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Naga is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Naga. 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: $158 in Naga versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Naga – a meal for two runs $13 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $552 per month in Naga versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Naga is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $552 in Naga versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Naga but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Naga 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.

It comes down to priorities – Naga wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.