Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cagayan de Oro City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cagayan de Oro City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $760 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,122 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,484 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than in Cagayan de Oro City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cagayan de Oro City 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.88 ₱239

209.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$14.45 ₱890

189.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$3.38 ₱208

218.05%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$2.52 ₱155

38.89%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.98 ₱60.1

47.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.36 ₱21.87

144.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$1.46 ₱90.0

102.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$2.39 ₱147

88.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$1.65 ₱102

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$0.91 ₱55.8

102.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$0.92 ₱56.6

70.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$2.40 ₱147

4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$6.11 ₱376

35.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.64 ₱224

131.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$6.64 ₱409

60.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$2.33 ₱143

12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$1.13 ₱69.9

27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$2.37 ₱146

-17.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$1.28 ₱78.6

63.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$2.26 ₱139

-18.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$2.81 ₱173

-22.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.91 ₱55.8

13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.47 ₱28.72

127.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$2.49 ₱153

64.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$3.99 ₱246

154.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$1.42 ₱87.3

18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$1.55 ₱95.6

63.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.41 ₱25.24

24.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$8.46 ₱521

207.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$0.70 ₱42.93

361.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$0.22 ₱13.54

995.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$2.07 ₱127

56.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.14 ₱70.4

15.79%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

44.97%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

21.50%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$106 ₱6,542

-22.82%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$39.96 ₱2,460

-42.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$33.15 ₱2,041

-9.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$21.81 ₱1,343

138.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$3.32 ₱204

458.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$4.56 ₱281

9.21%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$186 ₱11.5K

6.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$2,518 ₱155.1K

111.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$35.44 ₱2,182

0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$14.29 ₱880

182.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$56.6 ₱3,482

39.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$43.47 ₱2,676

104.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$356 ₱21.9K

165.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$214 ₱13.2K

121.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$579 ₱35.6K

183.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$374 ₱23.0K

223.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$1,611 ₱99.2K

151.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$989 ₱60.9K

553.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$313 ₱19.3K

108.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Cagayan de Oro City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $356 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 109% 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 $14.00 in Cagayan de Oro City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $169 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Cagayan de Oro City differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $760 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 109% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $356 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $760 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cagayan de Oro City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cagayan de Oro City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.