Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cotabato City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cotabato City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $754 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,149 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,544 in Cotabato City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 73% more expensive than in Cotabato City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cotabato City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$4.92 ₱307

143.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$16.52 ₱1,030

186.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.11 ₱256

185.89%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$2.15 ₱134

91.63%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$1.08 ₱67.6

29.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$0.70 ₱43.73

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$1.13 ₱70.5

184.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.89 ₱118

274.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$2.04 ₱127

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$1.09 ₱68.2

97.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$0.83 ₱51.7

113.25%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$1.94 ₱121

45.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$6.87 ₱429

33.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$4.16 ₱259

121.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.49 ₱530

48.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$2.62 ₱163

12.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$1.13 ₱70.2

39.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$2.31 ₱144

-3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$1.20 ₱75.0

96.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$2.14 ₱134

-7.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$3.48 ₱217

-43.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.19 ₱74.5

4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$0.68 ₱42.37

77.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$2.55 ₱159

80.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.93 ₱495

32.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$1.30 ₱80.9

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$1.59 ₱99.0

74.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

$0.25 ₱15.46

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

$11.14 ₱695

166.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$0.82 ₱50.9

539.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$0.23 ₱14.24

1486.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$1.90 ₱118

204.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.17 ₱73.1

31.62%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$21.6K ₱1.3M

5.34%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

36.19%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$108 ₱6,720

-15.87%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$19.17 ₱1,195

31.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$31.98 ₱1,994

-0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$32.42 ₱2,021

112.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

$4.93 ₱308

495.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$4.86 ₱303

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

$226 MX$3,816

$109 ₱6,783

107.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$7,655 ₱477.3K

-45.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$32.37 ₱2,019

46.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$19.46 ₱1,214

123.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$71.7 ₱4,470

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$61.7 ₱3,845

48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$269 ₱16.8K

303.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

$175 ₱10.9K

133.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$505 ₱31.5K

290.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$358 ₱22.3K

258.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

$2,636 ₱164.4K

53.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

$1,030 ₱64.2K

551.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.31

37.79%

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 Cotabato City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $269 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $196 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,131 in Cotabato City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $754 in Cotabato City – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 167% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $754 in Cotabato City versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $754 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.