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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $724 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,154 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,584 in Cotabato City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 79% more expensive than Cotabato City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Cotabato City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$4.41 ₱272

165.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$23.90 ₱1,473

74.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$4.63 ₱285

129.81%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$2.03 ₱125

73.40%

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

$1.51 MX$26.38

$0.87 ₱53.4

73.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.01

$0.53 ₱32.60

83.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.41 ₱86.8

109.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$1.75 ₱108

154.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.17

$1.04 ₱64.2

32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$0.34 ₱20.95

455.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.60

$0.91 ₱55.9

80.22%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.77

$2.01 ₱124

24.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$5.86 ₱361

42.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$3.26 ₱201

155.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$7.43 ₱458

44.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.49

$1.40 ₱86.4

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$1.04 ₱64.1

40.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.20

$1.07 ₱66.1

77.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$1.12 ₱69.0

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.02

$1.26 ₱77.9

41.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.17

$1.50 ₱92.4

46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.17

$0.51 ₱31.14

103.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.57 ₱34.95

89.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$0.86 ₱52.8

374.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$8.11 ₱500

27.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.91

$1.42 ₱87.3

20.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.99

$1.50 ₱92.3

72.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.28 ₱17.27

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$0.88 ₱54.1

270.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.52

$0.25 ₱15.49

896.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$2.09 ₱129

55.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.84

$1.10 ₱68.1

19.09%

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

$30.3K MX$528.9K

$22.4K ₱1.4M

35.01%

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

$23.4K MX$409.3K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

10.21%

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

$82.9 MX$1,448

$105 ₱6,483

-21.21%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$34.22 ₱2,109

-35.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$513

$36.53 ₱2,252

-19.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$34.34 ₱2,117

50.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$4.33 ₱267

323.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$3.14 ₱194

61.46%

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

$201 MX$3,508

$117 ₱7,234

71.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$4,325 ₱266.6K

20.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$46.46 ₱2,864

-20.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$29.70 ₱1,831

33.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$79.0 ₱4,872

-0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$68.8 ₱4,239

26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$263 ₱16.2K

270.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,171

$179 ₱11.0K

161.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$576 ₱35.5K

184.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$397 ₱24.4K

207.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$2,371 ₱146.2K

66.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$1,070 ₱66.0K

507.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.56

19.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $263 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $147 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 79% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,086 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $263 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $724 in Cotabato City – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $724 in Cotabato City versus $1,297 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 $724 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 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.