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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $579 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $903 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,227 in Butuan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 125% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Butuan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$4.69 ₱292

155.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$26.84 ₱1,674

76.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$2.33 ₱145

404.29%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$2.12 ₱132

94.34%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$0.31 ₱19.11

351.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$0.23 ₱14.27

295.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$1.56 ₱97.1

105.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.33 ₱145

203.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.95 ₱122

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$1.09 ₱68.2

97.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$0.94 ₱58.5

88.30%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$1.93 ₱120

46.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$6.79 ₱423

35.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$4.30 ₱268

114.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.69 ₱542

45.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$2.59 ₱162

13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$1.08 ₱67.2

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$2.28 ₱142

-2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$1.20 ₱75.0

96.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$2.10 ₱131

-5.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$3.61 ₱225

-45.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.19 ₱74.1

4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$0.66 ₱41.22

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$2.50 ₱156

84.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.90 ₱492

33.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$1.24 ₱77.3

36.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$1.53 ₱95.7

81.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$0.83 ₱51.6

531.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$0.25 ₱15.69

1360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$1.94 ₱121

197.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.09 ₱67.8

41.28%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

8.12%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

35.22%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$106 ₱6,632

-14.74%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$19.04 ₱1,187

32.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$31.42 ₱1,959

1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$24.08 ₱1,501

185.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$4.37 ₱273

11.21%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$108 ₱6,746

108.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$7,486 ₱466.8K

-43.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$61.6 ₱3,843

-23.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$27.03 ₱1,686

60.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$72.6 ₱4,524

10.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$60.7 ₱3,784

50.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.31

37.79%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Butuan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $196 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 125% 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 $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $869 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.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $108 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 $27.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $579 in Butuan versus $1,305 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 $579 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 125% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.