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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,125 in Philipsburg versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,156 in Philipsburg versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,187 in Philipsburg versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Philipsburg is roughly 147% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Philipsburg is 128% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 ANG 27.30

$11.60 MX$199

31.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 ANG 126

$47.11 MX$809

49.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 ANG 14.82

$11.88 MX$204

-30.05%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ANG 7.55

$3.98 MX$68.2

6.28%

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

$2.82 ANG 5.03

$1.43 MX$24.49

97.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 ANG 7.03

$0.82 MX$14.16

380.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 ANG 5.28

$3.19 MX$54.7

-7.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ANG 11.47

$6.79 MX$117

-5.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 ANG 5.23

$1.68 MX$28.76

74.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 ANG 4.70

$2.20 MX$37.71

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ANG 4.48

$1.71 MX$29.32

46.78%

Eggs

$6.49 ANG 11.59

$2.74 MX$47.05

136.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.68 ANG 33.34

$9.58 MX$164

94.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 ANG 25.34

$9.01 MX$155

57.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 ANG 26.62

$12.81 MX$220

16.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 ANG 9.09

$2.89 MX$49.58

76.12%

Banana (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.04

$1.50 MX$25.70

238.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.83 ANG 15.77

$2.15 MX$36.87

310.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.65 ANG 13.66

$2.26 MX$38.79

238.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ANG 6.96

$1.98 MX$34.00

96.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.11 ANG 7.33

$1.99 MX$34.15

106.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.13 ANG 9.15

$1.23 MX$21.18

317.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ANG 2.31

$1.20 MX$20.54

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 ANG 13.86

$4.55 MX$78.1

70.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 ANG 19.45

$10.37 MX$178

5.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.15 ANG 9.19

$1.62 MX$27.79

217.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 ANG 4.09

$0.60 MX$10.30

281.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.53 ANG 2.74

$28.80 MX$494

-94.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.82 ANG 26.45

$5.39 MX$92.5

174.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

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

$149 ANG 265

$91.4 MX$1,569

62.51%

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

$32.43 ANG 57.9

$25.20 MX$433

28.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.6 ANG 117

$31.24 MX$536

110.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 ANG 111

$67.2 MX$1,154

-7.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 ANG 19.42

$4.86 MX$83.5

123.87%

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

$250 ANG 447

$224 MX$3,839

11.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

184.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 ANG 3,852

$1,063 MX$18.2K

103.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 ANG 3,566

$390 MX$6,698

411.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,575 ANG 11.7K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

205.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,605 ANG 11.8K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

419.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,128 ANG 2,014

$758 MX$13.0K

48.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Philipsburg: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,158 in Philipsburg and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Philipsburg vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $496 vs $276 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 147% lower than in Philipsburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Philipsburg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,158 in Philipsburg versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $70.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,125 in Philipsburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.