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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $736 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,158 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,580 in Cotabato City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 71% more expensive than 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

$11.67 MX$203

$4.32 ₱262

170.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$728

$24.28 ₱1,469

72.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$181

$4.48 ₱271

132.14%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.9

$2.04 ₱123

76.96%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.87 ₱52.4

68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.86

$0.53 ₱31.86

71.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.46 ₱88.3

107.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.7

$1.75 ₱106

155.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$1.07 ₱64.8

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.04

$0.34 ₱20.34

441.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.91

$0.84 ₱50.9

91.67%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.67

$2.01 ₱122

27.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$6.18 ₱374

37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.32 ₱201

155.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$191

$7.21 ₱436

52.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.42

$1.39 ₱84.4

96.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.01

$1.03 ₱62.6

45.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$1.05 ₱63.3

86.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.83

$1.13 ₱68.2

87.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$1.27 ₱77.0

46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$1.47 ₱89.1

47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$0.51 ₱30.80

109.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.24

$0.56 ₱33.66

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$0.90 ₱54.6

365.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$179

$8.28 ₱501

24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.97

$1.36 ₱82.1

22.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.27

$1.54 ₱93.3

61.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.26 ₱15.73

107.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$54.0

$0.86 ₱52.0

260.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.81

$0.23 ₱13.90

969.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$2.11 ₱128

53.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.14 ₱68.8

10.53%

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

$30.2K MX$524.6K

$22.3K ₱1.4M

35.04%

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

$23.4K MX$407.7K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

12.74%

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

$84.0 MX$1,461

$106 ₱6,385

-20.41%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$34.24 ₱2,072

-35.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$516

$36.31 ₱2,197

-18.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

$34.32 ₱2,077

53.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

$4.33 ₱262

323.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$86.0

$3.10 ₱187

59.68%

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

$198 MX$3,449

$121 ₱7,345

63.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.5K

$4,335 ₱262.3K

22.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$625

$45.35 ₱2,744

-20.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$30.23 ₱1,829

32.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$79.1 ₱4,784

-0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,504

$68.0 ₱4,112

27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

$266 ₱16.1K

267.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

$174 ₱10.5K

170.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

$580 ₱35.1K

174.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$392 ₱23.7K

210.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

$2,222 ₱134.4K

81.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $266 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $24 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 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 71% 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 $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,104 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $266 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 $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $736 in Cotabato City – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $736 in Cotabato City versus $1,261 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 $736 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 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.