Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bulacan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulacan: $628 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bulacan
Learn more

Bulacan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Bulacan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bulacan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Bulacan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $628 in Bulacan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Bulacan $628

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $904 in Bulacan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Bulacan $904

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,180 in Bulacan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Bulacan $1,180

Playa del Carmen costs about 91% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Bulacan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Bulacan 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$2.34 ₱148

355.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$14.45 ₱917

203.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$1.85 ₱117

537.30%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$1.70 ₱108

122.94%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.45 ₱28.49

188.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.15 ₱9.58

453.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$1.13 ₱72.0

178.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$1.31 ₱83.0

276.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.40 ₱88.6

0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.09 ₱69.2

101.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$0.90 ₱57.1

63.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.53 ₱97.2

63.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$2.36 ₱149

208.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$3.16 ₱200

151.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$6.63 ₱421

93.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$2.18 ₱139

33.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.70 ₱108

-18.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$2.22 ₱141

12.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$1.27 ₱80.7

59.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.55 ₱98.5

30.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$1.76 ₱111

7.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.61 ₱38.75

86.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.35 ₱22.23

254.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$3.82 ₱243

11.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$3.48 ₱221

181.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.01 ₱64.1

57.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$1.37 ₱86.9

100.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.20 ₱12.76

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$6.73 ₱427

306.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$0.73 ₱46.37

552.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.18 ₱11.12

1705.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$1.84 ₱117

192.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.20 ₱76.4

27.50%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

1.53%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

19.27%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$115 ₱7,287

-27.31%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$17.51 ₱1,111

32.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$31.15 ₱1,976

-11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$47.30 ₱3,001

19.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$4.82 ₱306

3.73%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$78.2 ₱4,961

164.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$932 ₱59.1K

461.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$30.99 ₱1,966

40.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$32.20 ₱2,043

32.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$62.4 ₱3,960

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$62.6 ₱3,970

41.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$181 ₱11.5K

449.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$116 ₱7,335

230.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$252 ₱16.0K

565.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$155 ₱9,848

596.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Bulacan

$116 18.4% 69.8% $267

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Bulacan

$143 22.8% 44.3% $114

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Bulacan

$55 8.8% 72.4% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Bulacan

$164 26% 21.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Bulacan

$85 13.5% 23.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Bulacan

$57 9.1% 14.3% $9.5

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Bulacan

$9.1 1.5% 81.9% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $181 in Bulacan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $14 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $143 – making Bulacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Bulacan

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

06:35 6:35 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

3,700,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Bulacan 15,030 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Bulacan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 91% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $943 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulacan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $181 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $628 in Bulacan. That makes Bulacan about 48% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Bulacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Bulacan, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Bulacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulacan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Bulacan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 48% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.