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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $723 in Calbayog, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,106 in Calbayog, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,488 in Calbayog, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 80% more than Calbayog, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Calbayog are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Calbayog 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.80 ₱238

214.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$17.03 ₱1,067

178.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$2.77 ₱174

324.19%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.26 ₱141

82.30%

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

$1.40 MX$23.75

$0.63 ₱39.38

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.34 ₱21.40

167.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.12 ₱70.4

186.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.83 ₱115

286.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.46

$1.62 ₱101

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.50

$1.12 ₱70.0

91.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.11

$0.91 ₱57.0

94.51%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.78

$1.89 ₱118

49.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.48 ₱344

67.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.13 ₱259

123.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.09 ₱444

78.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.37 ₱148

24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.80

$1.55 ₱97.1

1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.72

$2.33 ₱146

-4.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.11

$1.18 ₱73.9

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.82

$2.04 ₱128

-2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.60

$1.95 ₱122

1.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.05

$0.83 ₱52.3

49.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.56

$0.53 ₱32.99

128.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.84 ₱178

61.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$7.83 ₱491

34.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.71

$0.97 ₱60.6

74.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.09

$1.93 ₱121

43.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.23

$0.25 ₱15.48

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$11.18 ₱701

165.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.9

$0.77 ₱48.35

580.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.25 ₱15.68

1360.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.2

$1.88 ₱118

207.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.11

$1.16 ₱72.9

32.76%

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

$22.8K MX$387.0K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

7.70%

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

$25.8K MX$438.1K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

33.93%

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

$90.7 MX$1,539

$122 ₱7,659

-25.81%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$15.07 ₱944

67.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$24.27 ₱1,521

30.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,168

$32.07 ₱2,010

114.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$4.85 ₱304

505.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.08 ₱318

-4.33%

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

$226 MX$3,830

$134 ₱8,369

69.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$8,012 ₱502.1K

-47.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$31.60 ₱1,980

49.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$19.39 ₱1,215

124.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,362

$72.7 ₱4,555

10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,551

$55.2 ₱3,461

65.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$265 ₱16.6K

309.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,936

$172 ₱10.8K

137.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$504 ₱31.6K

291.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$357 ₱22.4K

259.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$2,549 ₱159.7K

58.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.8K

$1,041 ₱65.3K

543.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$155 ₱9,708

399.23%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Calbayog: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $265 in Calbayog. 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 399% 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 Calbayog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $177 – making Calbayog 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 Calbayog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 80%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,085 in Calbayog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 57% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calbayog, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Calbayog it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calbayog – 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 Calbayog. 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.