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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $750 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,121 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,493 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 73% more expensive than Cagayan de Oro City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cagayan de Oro City 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.67 ₱226

219.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$14.04 ₱866

196.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.44 ₱212

209.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.62 ₱162

34.35%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.96 ₱59.2

57.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.36 ₱22.11

169.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.45 ₱89.4

103.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.47 ₱152

80.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.66 ₱102

-16.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.98 ₱60.3

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.98 ₱60.2

67.35%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.40 ₱148

4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.08 ₱375

37.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.48 ₱215

139.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.43 ₱397

66.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.24 ₱138

16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.13 ₱69.9

29.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.29 ₱141

-17.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.22 ₱75.2

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.26 ₱139

-21.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.79 ₱172

-21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.85 ₱52.3

22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.51 ₱31.16

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.40 ₱148

70.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$3.95 ₱244

161.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.34 ₱82.9

27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.56 ₱96.3

65.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.41 ₱25.24

24.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$8.72 ₱538

203.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.68 ₱41.72

379.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.22 ₱13.49

1031.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.18 ₱134

49.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.14 ₱70.3

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$20.2K ₱1.2M

49.86%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

24.18%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$105 ₱6,471

-21.04%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$40.33 ₱2,487

-44.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$33.47 ₱2,064

-12.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$22.08 ₱1,362

133.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$3.27 ₱202

460.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.62 ₱285

9.74%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$190 ₱11.7K

5.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,462 ₱151.8K

111.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$35.46 ₱2,187

4.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$14.51 ₱895

174.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$58.7 ₱3,621

33.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$42.85 ₱2,642

103.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$362 ₱22.3K

168.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$214 ₱13.2K

118.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$581 ₱35.8K

182.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$383 ₱23.6K

218.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,668 ₱102.8K

136.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$994 ₱61.3K

553.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$313 ₱19.3K

111.80%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cagayan de Oro City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $362 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 112% 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 $168 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 73% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $750 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 112% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $362 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% 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 $750 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,297 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 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.