Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Clark Freeport

For one person, living is cheaper in Clark Freeport: $728 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Clark Freeport
Learn more

Clark Freeport Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Clark Freeport

🇵🇭 Philippines

$728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Clark Freeport

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 Clark Freeport actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $728 in Clark Freeport.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Clark Freeport $728

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,107 in Clark Freeport.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Clark Freeport $1,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,485 in Clark Freeport.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Clark Freeport $1,485

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than in Clark Freeport, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Clark Freeport 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$3.79 ₱239

186.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$16.54 ₱1,042

167.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$2.76 ₱174

326.09%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.27 ₱143

62.11%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.62 ₱39.17

116.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.31 ₱19.41

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.17 ₱73.7

161.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.90 ₱120

160.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.61 ₱101

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.16 ₱72.8

91.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.91 ₱57.3

62.64%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.95 ₱123

27.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$5.42 ₱341

38.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.20 ₱264

89.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$7.08 ₱446

77.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.35 ₱148

18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.58 ₱99.7

-9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.43 ₱153

7.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.12 ₱70.3

91.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.95 ₱123

3.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.95 ₱123

2.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.92 ₱57.7

23.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.58 ₱36.79

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$3.02 ₱190

41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.75 ₱488

29.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$0.96 ₱60.4

60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.85 ₱117

43.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.20 ₱12.58

165.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$10.93 ₱688

151.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.73 ₱46.09

571.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.23 ₱14.53

1391.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$1.94 ₱122

177.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.24 ₱78.3

16.94%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-2.14%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

20.17%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$124 ₱7,804

-31.13%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$14.89 ₱937

57.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$24.30 ₱1,530

17.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$31.96 ₱2,012

94.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$4.77 ₱300

501.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$5.27 ₱332

-3.23%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$135 ₱8,486

49.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$7,924 ₱498.9K

-50.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$33.07 ₱2,082

34.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$19.65 ₱1,237

110.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$71.5 ₱4,503

1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$56.2 ₱3,536

59.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$266 ₱16.7K

268.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$170 ₱10.7K

119.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$508 ₱32.0K

230.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$351 ₱22.1K

212.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,385 ₱150.2K

65.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$991 ₱62.4K

518.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$313 ₱19.7K

135.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.79

68.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Clark Freeport: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Clark Freeport

$170 23.4% 54.4% $203

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Clark Freeport

$179 24.5% 30.9% $80

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Clark Freeport

$79 10.9% 60.4% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clark Freeport

$163 22.4% 18.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Clark Freeport

$81 11.2% 27.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Clark Freeport

$43 5.8% 41.3% $30

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Clark Freeport

$14 1.9% 73.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $266 in Clark Freeport. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 135% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Clark Freeport for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $179 per month, with Clark Freeport cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Clark Freeport

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

01:03 1:03 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Clark Freeport 15,020 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Clark Freeport

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 Clark Freeport: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Clark Freeport differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $728 including rent). Clark Freeport is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 135% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $266 in Clark Freeport. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Clark Freeport – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $728 in Clark Freeport – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $728 in Clark Freeport versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Clark Freeport but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Clark Freeport the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Clark Freeport are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Clark Freeport gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.