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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $793 in Calapan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,233 in Calapan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,672 in Calapan City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% 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 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.65 ₱225

228.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$17.92 ₱1,103

133.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$3.33 ₱205

222.82%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.44 ₱150

43.44%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.76 ₱46.89

90.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.37 ₱22.66

137.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.30 ₱80.3

126.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.19 ₱135

105.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.85 ₱114

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.27 ₱78.5

44.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.02 ₱63.1

53.92%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.99 ₱122

26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.11 ₱499

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$4.20 ₱259

100.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.63 ₱470

39.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.83 ₱174

-7.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.54 ₱94.6

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$2.71 ₱167

-27.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.56 ₱96.1

33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.32 ₱143

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$2.51 ₱154

-13.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.12 ₱69.1

-8.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.71 ₱43.54

50.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.76 ₱170

48.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.21 ₱506

23.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.15 ₱70.6

46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.07 ₱127

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.28 ₱17.31

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$14.11 ₱869

84.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$0.77 ₱47.22

319.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.22 ₱13.46

995.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.08 ₱128

55.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.13 ₱69.6

16.81%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$26.4K ₱1.6M

12.28%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$20.2K ₱1.2M

16.92%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$112 ₱6,884

-26.65%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$32.42 ₱1,996

-29.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$26.99 ₱1,661

11.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$33.28 ₱2,049

56.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$4.39 ₱270

322.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.05 ₱372

-17.69%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$151 ₱9,278

31.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$4,286 ₱263.9K

24.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$46.48 ₱2,862

-23.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$26.67 ₱1,642

51.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$75.4 ₱4,644

4.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$53.0 ₱3,265

67.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$269 ₱16.6K

252.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$180 ₱11.1K

163.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$580 ₱35.7K

183.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$398 ₱24.5K

204.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,361 ₱145.4K

71.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$978 ₱60.2K

561.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$119 ₱7,324

449.63%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 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 450% 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 $205 – 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 58%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,190 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $793 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 $793, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.