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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $783 in Calapan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,227 in Calapan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,672 in Calapan City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 66% 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 3% lower, Calapan City 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.61 ₱223

224.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$17.77 ₱1,096

134.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.27 ₱202

225.38%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.46 ₱152

43.09%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.79 ₱48.50

91.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.37 ₱22.56

162.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.31 ₱80.9

125.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.07 ₱128

114.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.91 ₱118

-27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.27 ₱78.0

48.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.08 ₱66.4

51.85%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.99 ₱123

26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.92 ₱488

5.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.17 ₱257

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.67 ₱473

39.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.95 ₱182

-11.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.52 ₱93.9

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.71 ₱167

-29.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.56 ₱96.1

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.30 ₱142

-22.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.53 ₱156

-13.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.07 ₱66.2

-2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.77 ₱47.47

40.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.86 ₱176

42.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.98 ₱492

29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.21 ₱74.5

41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.95 ₱120

32.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.28 ₱17.32

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$14.02 ₱864

88.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.83 ₱51.0

292.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.22 ₱13.52

1031.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.17 ₱134

49.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.14 ₱70.1

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$26.7K ₱1.6M

13.30%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$20.1K ₱1.2M

16.83%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$113 ₱6,977

-26.75%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$32.18 ₱1,984

-30.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$27.67 ₱1,706

6.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$34.31 ₱2,116

50.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$4.46 ₱275

310.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.96 ₱367

-14.93%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$150 ₱9,262

33.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,264 ₱262.9K

22.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$46.29 ₱2,854

-20.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$26.95 ₱1,662

47.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$75.0 ₱4,626

4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$53.3 ₱3,289

63.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$264 ₱16.3K

268.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$179 ₱11.0K

161.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$599 ₱36.9K

174.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$391 ₱24.1K

212.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,492 ₱153.6K

58.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$960 ₱59.2K

576.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$119 ₱7,309

460.08%

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 Calapan City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $264 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 460% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $206 – 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 66%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,175 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $18.00 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $783 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 $783, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.