Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Caloocan

For one person, living is cheaper in Caloocan: $496 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Caloocan
Learn more

Caloocan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Caloocan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Caloocan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Caloocan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $496 in Caloocan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Caloocan $496

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $665 in Caloocan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Caloocan $665

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $834 in Caloocan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Caloocan $834

Playa del Carmen costs about 143% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Caloocan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Caloocan 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$2.70 ₱172

304.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$16.45 ₱1,048

163.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$2.26 ₱144

421.24%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$0.84 ₱53.3

353.57%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.39 ₱25.07

228.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.32 ₱20.70

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.01 ₱64.3

213.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$1.59 ₱101

210.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.65 ₱105

-14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.11 ₱70.7

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$0.99 ₱63.1

43.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$1.79 ₱114

40.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$4.93 ₱314

47.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$3.32 ₱212

131.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$7.69 ₱490

65.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.23 ₱142

24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$0.97 ₱61.5

41.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$2.34 ₱149

8.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.04 ₱66.6

103.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.06 ₱67.8

83.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.77 ₱113

6.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.65 ₱41.39

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.46 ₱29.15

156.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$2.82 ₱180

52.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$4.82 ₱307

106.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$0.96 ₱61.2

64.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$2.02 ₱129

32.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.20 ₱12.69

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$0.77 ₱49.01

545.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.22 ₱13.97

1413.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$1.85 ₱118

189.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.07 ₱68.0

34.58%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-3.25%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

22.40%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$53.6 ₱3,416

58.19%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$9.42 ₱600

148.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$22.59 ₱1,439

26.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$4.82 ₱307

1083.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$5.12 ₱326

0.39%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$130 ₱8,279

58.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$10.6K ₱673.2K

-62.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$28.20 ₱1,797

53.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$19.52 ₱1,244

112.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$53.9 ₱3,432

37.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$47.64 ₱3,035

87.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$209 ₱13.3K

369.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$118 ₱7,491

223.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$307 ₱19.6K

139.15%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Caloocan

$118 23.7% 69.1% $263

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Caloocan

$158 31.9% 38% $97

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Caloocan

$50 10% 75.5% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Caloocan

$86 17.3% 37.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Caloocan

$67 13.6% 39.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Caloocan

$15 3% 77.6% $52

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Caloocan

$2.7 * 0.5% 94.7% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $209 in Caloocan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.4 times higher, 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $16 in Caloocan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $158 – making Caloocan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Caloocan

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

04:22 4:22 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,661,584

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Caloocan 15,040 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Caloocan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Caloocan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 143% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $743 in Caloocan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caloocan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $16 in Caloocan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $496, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caloocan – 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 Caloocan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.