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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $734 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,121 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,507 in Butuan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 71% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Butuan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$4.51 ₱278

165.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$16.09 ₱991

159.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$2.37 ₱146

353.59%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.62 ₱99.8

116.05%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.33 ₱20.25

339.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.31 ₱19.13

183.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.22 ₱75.1

141.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$1.80 ₱111

150.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.67 ₱103

-14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.07 ₱66.0

71.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$0.92 ₱56.9

70.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.08 ₱128

20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.74 ₱353

44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$3.62 ₱223

132.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.28 ₱448

46.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.45 ₱89.1

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$0.52 ₱31.95

176.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$0.90 ₱55.6

117.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.41 ₱87.0

48.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.18 ₱134

-15.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$3.16 ₱195

-31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.32 ₱81.1

-21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.57 ₱35.24

87.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.41 ₱149

70.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$7.92 ₱488

28.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$0.72 ₱44.55

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$0.92 ₱56.8

175.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.26 ₱15.84

96.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$0.70 ₱43.24

361.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.25 ₱15.46

864.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.14 ₱132

50.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.15 ₱70.5

14.78%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$21.9K ₱1.3M

35.83%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

12.92%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$105 ₱6,457

-21.81%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$33.60 ₱2,069

-31.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$36.43 ₱2,243

-17.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$34.40 ₱2,118

51.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$4.46 ₱275

315.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$4.46 ₱275

11.66%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$69.6 ₱4,283

183.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$1,787 ₱110.0K

198.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$45.25 ₱2,786

-21.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$10.00 ₱615

303.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$71.1 ₱4,380

10.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$69.4 ₱4,274

28.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$269 ₱16.6K

251.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$174 ₱10.7K

172.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$592 ₱36.5K

177.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$394 ₱24.2K

207.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Butuan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $269 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 71% 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 $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,102 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $69.6 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 $734 in Butuan versus $1,256 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 $734 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 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.