Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olongapo and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Olongapo: $694 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Olongapo
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Olongapo Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Olongapo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$694

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $694 in Olongapo versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Olongapo $694
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,056 in Olongapo versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Olongapo $1,056
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,418 in Olongapo versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Olongapo $1,418
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Olongapo costs roughly 42% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Olongapo 49% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 ₱257

$10.92 MX$204

-63.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.23 ₱1,038

$43.37 MX$810

-62.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱175

$11.78 MX$220

-76.83%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₱117

$3.81 MX$71.2

-52.23%

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

$0.54 ₱34.67

$1.28 MX$23.96

-57.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.14

$0.78 MX$14.63

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱65.8

$3.17 MX$59.2

-67.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₱92.3

$4.93 MX$92.2

-70.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱107

$1.41 MX$26.28

18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₱26.02

$2.22 MX$41.43

-81.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$1.42 MX$26.48

-42.25%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$2.52 MX$47.14

-24.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ₱313

$7.26 MX$136

-32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 ₱161

$7.70 MX$144

-67.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 ₱499

$12.69 MX$237

-38.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$2.78 MX$52.0

-19.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ₱62.2

$1.37 MX$25.56

-29.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱152

$2.55 MX$47.66

-6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₱67.2

$2.12 MX$39.67

-50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.94 MX$36.22

-14.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱112

$1.89 MX$35.24

-7.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱39.67

$1.15 MX$21.42

-46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₱26.19

$1.18 MX$22.03

-65.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱190

$4.30 MX$80.3

-30.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₱534

$9.95 MX$186

-16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₱56.0

$1.58 MX$29.59

-44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱130

$2.67 MX$49.91

-23.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.74

$0.55 MX$10.34

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.98 ₱831

$26.62 MX$497

-51.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.81

$4.97 MX$92.9

-84.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.40

$3.33 MX$62.2

-92.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$5.36 MX$100

-65.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₱68.7

$1.44 MX$26.98

-25.69%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.7K MX$386.2K

-0.13%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$23.5K MX$438.5K

-19.71%

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

$124 ₱7,958

$84.8 MX$1,584

46.68%

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

$17.26 ₱1,105

$23.41 MX$437

-26.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.34 ₱1,493

$28.66 MX$535

-18.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.45 ₱2,012

$57.1 MX$1,066

-44.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.91 ₱378

$28.91 MX$540

-79.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 ₱277

$5.14 MX$96.0

-15.76%

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

$76.8 ₱4,914

$207 MX$3,860

-62.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱679.8K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

170.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.90 ₱1,850

$43.35 MX$810

-33.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.85 ₱1,206

$41.44 MX$774

-54.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,543

$74.2 MX$1,386

-4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 ₱3,461

$89.3 MX$1,668

-39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱16.1K

$980 MX$18.3K

-74.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₱10.7K

$381 MX$7,116

-56.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$259 ₱16.6K

$1,708 MX$31.9K

-84.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ₱22.5K

$1,075 MX$20.1K

-67.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,416 ₱154.6K

$3,943 MX$73.7K

-38.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,119 ₱71.6K

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-81.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$134 ₱8,600

$735 MX$13.7K

-81.70%

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 Olongapo: October 24, 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

Olongapo

$167 24%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 129% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olongapo

$165 23.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 17% $28

Groceries & Markets

Olongapo

$155 22.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 64.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Olongapo

$78 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 43.6% $34

Eating Out

Olongapo

$74 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 174% $129

Sport & Entertainment

Olongapo

$40 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 67.9% $27

Getting Around

Olongapo

$16 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 217% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Olongapo and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 5.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Olongapo vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $255 per month, with Olongapo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Olongapo

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

04:11 4:11 AM

13 h behind Olongapo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

233,040

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.22 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Olongapo Playa del Carmen 15,070 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Olongapo
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

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

Olongapo wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Olongapo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Olongapo. 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: $251 in Olongapo versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $77 in Olongapo versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $694 in Olongapo versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Olongapo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Olongapo 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 Olongapo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.