Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nueva Ecija and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $517 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
Learn more

Nueva Ecija Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$517

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Nueva Ecija vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Nueva Ecija $517
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $912 per month in Nueva Ecija vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Nueva Ecija $912
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,307 per month in Nueva Ecija vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Nueva Ecija $1,307
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Nueva Ecija is about 57% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nueva Ecija and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Nueva Ecija 62% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 ₱246

$10.92 MX$204

-64.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.14 ₱1,031

$43.37 MX$808

-62.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱174

$11.78 MX$220

-76.91%

Cappuccino

$1.43 ₱91.4

$3.81 MX$71.0

-62.47%

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

$0.55 ₱35.33

$1.28 MX$23.90

-57.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.45

$0.78 MX$14.59

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱60.2

$3.17 MX$59.0

-70.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱98.9

$4.93 MX$92.0

-68.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱102

$1.41 MX$26.22

13.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₱60.0

$2.22 MX$41.33

-57.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱59.0

$1.42 MX$26.42

-35.21%

Eggs

$1.57 ₱100

$2.52 MX$47.03

-37.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ₱313

$7.26 MX$135

-32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$7.70 MX$143

-57.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.70 ₱364

$12.69 MX$237

-55.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₱139

$2.78 MX$51.9

-21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₱44.00

$1.37 MX$25.50

-49.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$2.55 MX$47.55

-33.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₱67.2

$2.12 MX$39.58

-50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.94 MX$36.13

-10.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.89 MX$35.16

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₱40.93

$1.15 MX$21.37

-44.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₱26.51

$1.18 MX$21.98

-65.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 ₱144

$4.30 MX$80.1

-47.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.23 ₱270

$9.95 MX$185

-57.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱57.5

$1.58 MX$29.52

-43.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₱126

$2.67 MX$49.79

-26.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱18.06

$0.55 MX$10.31

-49.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.35 ₱342

$26.62 MX$496

-79.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.80

$4.97 MX$92.6

-85.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ₱8.77

$3.33 MX$62.1

-95.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$5.36 MX$99.8

-80.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₱54.5

$1.44 MX$26.92

-40.97%

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

$15.8K ₱1.0M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

-23.59%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-19.16%

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

$78.6 ₱5,019

$84.8 MX$1,581

-7.35%

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

$17.26 ₱1,103

$23.41 MX$436

-26.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.13 ₱1,158

$28.66 MX$534

-36.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.13 ₱1,989

$57.1 MX$1,063

-45.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.65 ₱297

$28.91 MX$539

-83.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.32 ₱276

$5.14 MX$95.8

-15.95%

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

$133 ₱8,488

$207 MX$3,851

-35.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₱694.7K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

176.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.55 ₱1,824

$43.35 MX$808

-34.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.54 ₱1,248

$41.44 MX$772

-52.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₱4,501

$74.2 MX$1,383

-5.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.9 ₱3,443

$89.3 MX$1,664

-39.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$113 ₱7,241

$980 MX$18.3K

-88.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.9 ₱4,272

$381 MX$7,099

-82.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.1K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-89.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.2K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-67.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,619 ₱167.4K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-33.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,200 ₱76.7K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-80.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 ₱11.8K

$735 MX$13.7K

-74.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.45

-41.05%

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

Last update for Nueva Ecija: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nueva Ecija

$144 27.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 77.2% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nueva Ecija

$114 22%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 20.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Nueva Ecija

$78 15%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 44% $34

Eating Out

Nueva Ecija

$67 13%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 201% $135

Accommodation & Living

Nueva Ecija

$67 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 470% $314

Sport & Entertainment

Nueva Ecija

$40 7.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 69.3% $28

Getting Around

Nueva Ecija

$7.9 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 539% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $113 in Nueva Ecija versus $980 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.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Nueva Ecija versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $255 – making Nueva Ecija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

16:41 4:41 PM

13 h behind Nueva Ecija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,610

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nueva Ecija Playa del Carmen 14,960 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nueva Ecija
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 133% more than Nueva Ecija, 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 $776 per month in Nueva Ecija and $1,806 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 Nueva Ecija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $113 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Nueva Ecija and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $517 in Nueva Ecija and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Nueva Ecija about 57% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $517, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Nueva Ecija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nueva Ecija – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nueva Ecija. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.