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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $716 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,185 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,654 in Calamba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 80% more expensive than Calamba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Calamba 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.53 ₱218

238.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$13.14 ₱811

225.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$2.59 ₱160

308.88%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.45 ₱151

47.76%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.64 ₱39.69

129.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.41 ₱25.03

129.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$0.99 ₱61.4

212.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.94 ₱119

129.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.91 ₱118

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.20 ₱73.7

56.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.07 ₱66.1

52.34%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.21 ₱136

19.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.26 ₱571

-11.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.76 ₱232

120.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.57 ₱528

29.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.66 ₱164

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.79 ₱111

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.38 ₱147

-16.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.22 ₱75.1

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.84 ₱114

-2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.27 ₱140

-3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.72 ₱44.65

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.78 ₱47.85

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.22 ₱199

23.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.97 ₱553

13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.03 ₱63.8

67.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.32 ₱143

7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.26 ₱16.03

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.86 ₱52.8

265.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.24 ₱14.89

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.41 ₱149

28.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.10 ₱67.6

15.45%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$32.2K ₱2.0M

-3.99%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

13.54%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$148 ₱9,109

-44.47%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$34.74 ₱2,143

-35.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$25.96 ₱1,601

14.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$34.12 ₱2,105

52.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$4.53 ₱279

312.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.64 ₱348

-11.88%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$152 ₱9,384

30.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,639 ₱286.2K

13.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$48.81 ₱3,010

-25.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$27.42 ₱1,691

46.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$75.6 ₱4,664

5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$47.02 ₱2,900

89.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$124 ₱7,630

678.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$79.1 ₱4,880

487.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$577 ₱35.6K

176.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$389 ₱24.0K

210.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,132 ₱131.5K

84.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$260 ₱16.0K

177.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.5

153.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Calamba: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $124 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 177% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $13.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $206 per month, with Calamba 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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 177% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $124 in Calamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $716 in Calamba – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $716 in Calamba versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.