Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Calapan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Calapan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $737 in Calapan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,114 in Calapan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,490 in Calapan City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 75% more than Calapan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Calapan City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Calapan City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$3.63 ₱227

222.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$791

$16.62 ₱1,040

180.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$2.81 ₱175

314.59%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.5

$2.24 ₱140

82.59%

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

$1.37 MX$23.34

$0.57 ₱35.72

140.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.16

$0.34 ₱21.39

144.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

$1.09 ₱68.1

207.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.84 ₱115

275.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.69 ₱106

2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.39

$1.17 ₱73.0

93.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.05

$0.93 ₱58.1

90.32%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.41

$1.86 ₱117

46.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$5.43 ₱340

69.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.28 ₱267

108.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$7.04 ₱440

78.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$2.36 ₱148

27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.68

$1.60 ₱99.9

-1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.10

$2.35 ₱147

-9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.46

$1.18 ₱73.6

91.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$2.14 ₱134

-6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.06

$2.03 ₱127

1.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.04

$0.84 ₱52.3

40.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.45

$0.51 ₱32.20

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.7

$2.76 ₱172

67.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

$8.05 ₱504

32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$0.94 ₱58.7

72.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

$2.00 ₱125

44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

$0.27 ₱16.94

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

$11.13 ₱696

168.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.5

$0.85 ₱53.2

541.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.9

$0.26 ₱16.23

1323.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

$1.75 ₱110

241.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.02 ₱63.9

51.96%

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

$22.3K MX$379.2K

$24.2K ₱1.5M

-7.57%

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

$25.9K MX$440.7K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

32.66%

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

$89.1 MX$1,514

$124 ₱7,728

-27.88%

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

$25.04 MX$425

$15.26 ₱954

64.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$24.99 ₱1,563

26.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

$31.64 ₱1,978

114.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

$4.27 ₱267

577.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$5.09 ₱318

-0.79%

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

$225 MX$3,820

$123 ₱7,701

82.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.7K

$7,861 ₱491.6K

-46.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

$32.42 ₱2,027

46.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

$17.99 ₱1,125

150.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,392

$65.9 ₱4,119

24.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,564

$55.4 ₱3,463

66.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

$295 ₱18.4K

262.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

$158 ₱9,873

156.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$542 ₱33.9K

257.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

$329 ₱20.6K

295.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

$2,634 ₱164.7K

51.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

$1,056 ₱66.0K

527.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$116 ₱7,268

544.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $295 in Calapan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 544% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $180 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Calapan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 75%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,106 in Calapan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calapan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $17.00 in Calapan City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $737 in Calapan City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $737, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calapan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Calapan City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.