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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,129 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,527 in Butuan.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.41 ₱272

165.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$16.09 ₱992

158.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$2.33 ₱144

356.65%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.63 ₱100

115.95%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.33 ₱20.25

357.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.31 ₱19.22

212.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.16 ₱71.8

154.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.81 ₱112

145.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.65 ₱102

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.03 ₱63.8

83.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.99 ₱61.1

65.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.98 ₱122

26.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.73 ₱353

45.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.62 ₱223

130.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.37 ₱454

45.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.38 ₱85.1

88.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.55 ₱33.96

165.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.87 ₱53.8

118.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.40 ₱86.6

48.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.20 ₱136

-19.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$3.19 ₱197

-31.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.38 ₱85.3

-24.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.52 ₱32.27

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.44 ₱150

67.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.29 ₱511

24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.72 ₱44.55

137.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$0.87 ₱53.5

196.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.28 ₱17.34

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.76 ₱46.67

328.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.25 ₱15.46

896.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.15 ₱132

51.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.14 ₱70.2

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$22.3K ₱1.4M

35.69%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

12.26%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$106 ₱6,539

-21.85%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$33.91 ₱2,091

-34.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$35.49 ₱2,188

-17.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$33.79 ₱2,084

52.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$4.32 ₱266

324.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.38 ₱270

15.75%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$72.1 ₱4,443

178.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,766 ₱108.9K

195.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$45.95 ₱2,834

-19.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$10.10 ₱623

293.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$70.9 ₱4,370

10.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$68.0 ₱4,191

28.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$262 ₱16.2K

270.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$176 ₱10.8K

165.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$591 ₱36.5K

177.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$397 ₱24.5K

207.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,749 ₱169.5K

43.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,070 ₱66.0K

507.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.56

19.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Butuan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $262 in Butuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $164 per month, with Butuan 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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,097 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $72.1 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Butuan versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Butuan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Butuan 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.