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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $729 in Binangonan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,234 in Binangonan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,739 in Binangonan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 77% more expensive than Binangonan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Binangonan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$4.88 ₱294

140.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$20.85 ₱1,256

100.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$3.01 ₱181

245.85%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.73 ₱164

32.23%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.93 ₱56.0

56.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.37 ₱22.53

162.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.40 ₱84.0

108.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.63 ₱159

75.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.96 ₱118

-27.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.25 ₱75.3

52.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.08 ₱64.8

45.37%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.01 ₱121

31.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$6.90 ₱416

22.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$4.20 ₱253

104.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$8.29 ₱499

32.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.51 ₱211

-23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.53 ₱92.2

-1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.89 ₱174

-33.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.70 ₱102

27.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.67 ₱161

-29.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$3.03 ₱183

-26.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.58 ₱95.4

-31.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.66 ₱39.59

62.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$3.34 ₱201

24.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$7.66 ₱461

34.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.45 ₱87.3

15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.05 ₱123

23.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.26 ₱15.61

111.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$7.17 ₱432

266.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.92 ₱55.2

247.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.24 ₱14.46

925.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.17 ₱130

47.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.15 ₱69.5

14.78%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$25.8K ₱1.6M

16.94%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$20.2K ₱1.2M

15.72%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$138 ₱8,309

-41.04%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$21.67 ₱1,305

3.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$27.14 ₱1,634

10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$33.48 ₱2,016

54.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$4.35 ₱262

322.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.75 ₱407

-23.56%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$80.3 ₱4,835

151.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$2,782 ₱167.6K

90.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$32.34 ₱1,948

10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$29.75 ₱1,792

35.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$82.8 ₱4,985

-5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$45.77 ₱2,756

89.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$271 ₱16.3K

250.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$75.3 ₱4,534

535.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$589 ₱35.5K

175.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$389 ₱23.4K

214.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,591 ₱156.1K

54.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,004 ₱60.5K

544.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$427 ₱25.7K

57.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.13

40.47%

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 Binangonan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $271 in Binangonan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 58% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Binangonan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $213 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 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 58% more on average, 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 in Binangonan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $80.3 in Binangonan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Binangonan versus $1,294 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 77% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.