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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $739 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,153 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,567 in Cotabato City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 70% more expensive than in Cotabato City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cotabato City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$4.34 ₱268

175.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$24.27 ₱1,498

72.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$4.51 ₱278

131.04%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$2.12 ₱131

65.57%

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

$1.52 MX$26.56

$0.81 ₱50.1

87.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.95

$0.49 ₱30.52

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$1.38 ₱85.1

120.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$1.73 ₱107

152.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.89

$1.04 ₱64.1

36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.07

$0.34 ₱20.98

438.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.63

$0.83 ₱51.2

96.39%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.48

$2.08 ₱129

22.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$6.12 ₱378

40.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$3.36 ₱207

152.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$7.14 ₱441

51.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.25

$1.40 ₱86.4

96.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.16

$1.09 ₱67.1

32.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.08 ₱66.7

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.01

$1.16 ₱71.7

87.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.17

$1.21 ₱74.7

47.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.96

$1.55 ₱95.8

43.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.72

$0.55 ₱34.06

94.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.91

$0.60 ₱36.99

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.6

$0.85 ₱52.7

388.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$7.96 ₱492

31.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.53

$1.36 ₱84.0

27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.21

$1.54 ₱95.2

67.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.99

$0.26 ₱16.02

96.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$0.93 ₱57.2

245.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.83

$0.25 ₱15.50

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.8

$2.18 ₱135

46.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.01

$1.09 ₱67.3

15.60%

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

$29.7K MX$520.0K

$22.5K ₱1.4M

32.05%

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

$23.7K MX$414.8K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

15.14%

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

$82.0 MX$1,437

$102 ₱6,311

-19.77%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$34.33 ₱2,119

-33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$36.81 ₱2,272

-20.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$914

$34.30 ₱2,117

52.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

$4.52 ₱279

308.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.4

$3.28 ₱202

50.30%

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

$202 MX$3,534

$121 ₱7,497

66.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.4K

$4,319 ₱266.6K

20.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$45.25 ₱2,793

-20.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$29.55 ₱1,824

36.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,399

$76.8 ₱4,738

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,564

$69.5 ₱4,290

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$269 ₱16.6K

252.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,150

$179 ₱11.1K

159.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$577 ₱35.6K

182.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

$391 ₱24.1K

205.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.9K

$2,723 ₱168.1K

44.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.6K

$888 ₱54.8K

623.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $269 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 $252 vs $148 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 70% 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 $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $1,108 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $739 in Cotabato City – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $739 in Cotabato City versus $1,259 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 $739 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 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.