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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $720 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,195 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,670 in Calamba.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 77% more expensive than Calamba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Calamba 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.63 ₱221

227.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$13.11 ₱796

227.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$2.61 ₱158

308.05%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.45 ₱149

40.82%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.64 ₱39.07

134.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.40 ₱24.53

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.03 ₱62.6

194.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.01 ₱122

129.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.86 ₱113

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.19 ₱72.4

55.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.07 ₱65.3

50.47%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.26 ₱137

14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.34 ₱567

-11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.74 ₱227

123.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.67 ₱526

22.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.73 ₱166

-3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.85 ₱112

-19.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.26 ₱137

-15.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.21 ₱73.6

72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.80 ₱110

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.30 ₱140

-1.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.73 ₱44.21

45.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.77 ₱47.04

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.19 ₱194

30.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.76 ₱532

18.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.07 ₱65.1

60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.28 ₱138

14.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.28 ₱17.11

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.91 ₱55.0

243.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.22 ₱13.31

1040.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.45 ₱149

28.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.15 ₱69.9

10.43%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$31.9K ₱1.9M

-4.85%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.4K ₱1.2M

15.27%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$145 ₱8,785

-42.63%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$34.17 ₱2,075

-33.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$26.48 ₱1,608

11.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$34.09 ₱2,070

49.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$4.47 ₱272

310.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.88 ₱357

-16.16%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$153 ₱9,276

29.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,821 ₱292.7K

9.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$49.55 ₱3,009

-25.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$27.80 ₱1,688

43.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$76.1 ₱4,620

5.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$45.86 ₱2,785

95.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$124 ₱7,556

668.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$78.9 ₱4,791

504.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$585 ₱35.5K

181.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$400 ₱24.3K

205.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$257 ₱15.6K

159.86%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Calamba: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $124 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 160% 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 $250 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 77% 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 160% 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: $956 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 21% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $720 in Calamba – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $720 in Calamba versus $1,271 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 $720 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 77% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.