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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $768 in Antipolo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,274 in Antipolo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,781 in Antipolo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 68% more than Antipolo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Antipolo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Antipolo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$5.30 ₱319

121.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$26.96 ₱1,624

54.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$2.09 ₱126

398.09%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$0.59 ₱35.60

511.86%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.45 ₱26.91

224.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.33 ₱20.07

193.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$0.94 ₱56.5

210.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$1.21 ₱72.8

281.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.90 ₱114

-24.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.39 ₱83.8

36.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.07 ₱64.6

46.73%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.08 ₱125

26.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$9.42 ₱567

-10.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.17 ₱311

65.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$8.64 ₱520

27.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.37 ₱203

-19.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.76 ₱106

-14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$3.52 ₱212

-45.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$2.41 ₱145

-9.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.70 ₱162

-30.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$3.09 ₱186

-27.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$2.03 ₱122

-46.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.64 ₱38.42

67.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$3.28 ₱198

26.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$9.26 ₱558

11.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.44 ₱86.9

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.14 ₱129

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.26 ₱15.58

111.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.92 ₱55.5

247.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.22 ₱13.22

1018.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.11 ₱127

51.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.13 ₱67.8

16.81%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$26.3K ₱1.6M

14.75%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$22.7K ₱1.4M

2.88%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$135 ₱8,107

-39.57%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$22.18 ₱1,336

1.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$27.59 ₱1,662

8.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$33.72 ₱2,031

52.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$4.38 ₱264

319.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.83 ₱411

-24.45%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$119 ₱7,196

68.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$4,228 ₱254.6K

25.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$46.74 ₱2,815

-23.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$35.50 ₱2,138

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$81.8 ₱4,929

-3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$46.41 ₱2,795

87.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$197 ₱11.9K

382.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$115 ₱6,924

315.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$587 ₱35.3K

176.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$387 ₱23.3K

215.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,416 ₱145.5K

65.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,001 ₱60.3K

546.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$448 ₱27.0K

50.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.52

51.86%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Antipolo: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $197 in Antipolo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 50% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Antipolo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $239 – making Antipolo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 68% more than Antipolo, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,152 in Antipolo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Antipolo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $768 in Antipolo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $119 in Antipolo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Antipolo, where all-in costs run around $768, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Antipolo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Antipolo costs $768 versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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