Cost of Living Comparison Between Pagadian and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Pagadian and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $760 in Pagadian versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,074 in Pagadian versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,389 in Pagadian versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Pagadian costs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pagadian 43% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 ₱220

$11.73 MX$203

-69.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.01 ₱1,110

$41.62 MX$720

-56.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 ₱197

$10.64 MX$184

-69.92%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ₱179

$3.52 MX$60.9

-17.61%

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

$0.93 ₱57.1

$1.51 MX$26.12

-38.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₱26.38

$0.97 MX$16.84

-55.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₱66.3

$2.95 MX$51.0

-63.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₱108

$4.45 MX$77.0

-60.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱106

$1.38 MX$23.93

23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱66.1

$1.89 MX$32.72

-43.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱59.8

$1.64 MX$28.32

-40.85%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱125

$2.51 MX$43.34

-19.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 ₱508

$8.34 MX$144

-1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 ₱307

$8.34 MX$144

-40.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.85 ₱361

$10.73 MX$186

-45.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 ₱224

$2.60 MX$45.04

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ₱69.3

$1.46 MX$25.20

-23.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 ₱211

$1.90 MX$32.87

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ₱82.4

$2.08 MX$35.91

-35.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₱164

$1.78 MX$30.71

48.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 ₱213

$2.19 MX$37.80

57.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱66.1

$1.04 MX$17.99

2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱43.42

$1.08 MX$18.62

-35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ₱167

$4.08 MX$70.6

-33.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 ₱488

$10.32 MX$178

-23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₱64.6

$1.71 MX$29.61

-38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱94.8

$2.58 MX$44.54

-40.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.03

$0.51 MX$8.81

-49.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.18 ₱443

$26.46 MX$458

-72.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱50.9

$3.26 MX$56.4

-74.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.87

$2.49 MX$43.09

-90.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 ₱129

$3.25 MX$56.2

-35.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱73.2

$1.31 MX$22.61

-9.16%

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

$26.9K ₱1.7M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-11.32%

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

$20.2K ₱1.2M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-13.68%

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

$96.0 ₱5,919

$82.9 MX$1,433

15.82%

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

$33.16 ₱2,045

$22.22 MX$384

49.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 ₱1,688

$29.34 MX$507

-6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.61 ₱2,072

$51.6 MX$893

-34.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.53 ₱279

$18.32 MX$317

-75.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 ₱367

$5.07 MX$87.6

17.36%

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

$149 ₱9,190

$201 MX$3,473

-25.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,359 ₱268.8K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-16.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.37 ₱2,798

$36.92 MX$639

22.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.79 ₱1,652

$39.79 MX$688

-32.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 ₱4,592

$78.5 MX$1,357

-5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.1 ₱3,271

$87.1 MX$1,506

-39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$113 ₱6,956

$973 MX$16.8K

-88.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱10.9K

$468 MX$8,090

-62.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.3K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-84.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 ₱9,271

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-87.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,118 ₱130.6K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-46.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$966 ₱59.6K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-85.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.42

-41.59%

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

Last update for Pagadian: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $113 in Pagadian and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Pagadian vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $249 per month, with Pagadian cheaper across the board.

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

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

Pagadian and Playa del Carmen differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($760 vs $1,297 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,140 in Pagadian and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $113 in Pagadian versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pagadian – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $760 per month in Pagadian versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $760 in Pagadian versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pagadian but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.