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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $737 in Binangonan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,097 in Binangonan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,456 in Binangonan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 72% more expensive than in Binangonan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Binangonan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.86 ₱242

200.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$16.93 ₱1,064

178.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.72 ₱171

336.76%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.77 ₱111

124.86%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.57 ₱35.74

150.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.27 ₱16.91

203.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.29 ₱81.2

147.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.55 ₱97.6

338.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.61 ₱101

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.10 ₱69.0

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.85 ₱53.5

101.18%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.76 ₱110

55.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.02 ₱315

90.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.50 ₱220

157.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.65 ₱481

67.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.20 ₱138

31.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.37 ₱86.0

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.40 ₱151

-10.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.08 ₱67.8

109.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.72 ₱108

15.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.72 ₱108

15.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.67 ₱42.21

83.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.49 ₱30.83

144.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.89 ₱182

57.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.36 ₱462

40.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.95 ₱59.8

70.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.84 ₱116

56.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.25 ₱15.53

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$11.24 ₱706

156.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.81 ₱50.8

565.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.21 ₱13.16

1676.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.96 ₱123

194.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.12 ₱70.1

37.50%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

3.94%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

36.54%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$140 ₱8,789

-34.68%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$14.52 ₱912

73.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$23.13 ₱1,453

35.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$29.01 ₱1,823

131.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.45 ₱280

554.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.06 ₱318

-3.95%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$74.0 ₱4,647

202.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$2,507 ₱157.5K

68.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$28.67 ₱1,801

64.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$19.50 ₱1,225

127.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$70.9 ₱4,451

13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$56.0 ₱3,518

65.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$268 ₱16.8K

297.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$173 ₱10.8K

126.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$461 ₱29.0K

365.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$352 ₱22.1K

261.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,851 ₱179.1K

40.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,109 ₱69.7K

486.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$419 ₱26.4K

80.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

63.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Binangonan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $268 in Binangonan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 81% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Binangonan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $168 per month, with Binangonan 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

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

Binangonan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 81% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $268 in Binangonan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $74.0 in Binangonan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $737 in Binangonan versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binangonan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Binangonan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Binangonan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Binangonan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.