Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dagupan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dagupan: $730 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.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Dagupan
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Dagupan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Dagupan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Dagupan

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $730 in Dagupan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Dagupan $730

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,083 in Dagupan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Dagupan $1,083

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,435 in Dagupan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Dagupan $1,435

Playa del Carmen costs about 65% more than Dagupan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Dagupan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Dagupan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$2.76 ₱176

295.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$11.82 ₱755

266.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$4.25 ₱271

177.18%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.39 ₱153

59.41%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.49 ₱31.45

161.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.22 ₱14.01

254.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.20 ₱76.6

164.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$2.67 ₱171

84.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.71 ₱109

-17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.27 ₱80.9

74.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$0.93 ₱59.2

52.69%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.92 ₱122

31.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$5.68 ₱363

27.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$4.73 ₱302

62.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$6.66 ₱426

90.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.91 ₱250

-28.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.91 ₱122

-28.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.76 ₱176

-7.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.12 ₱71.7

89.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.78 ₱178

-30.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$3.38 ₱216

-44.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.04 ₱66.7

10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.53 ₱33.79

122.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$2.30 ₱147

86.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$5.36 ₱342

85.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$0.82 ₱52.5

92.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.86 ₱119

43.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.20 ₱12.66

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.60 ₱38.49

728.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.23 ₱14.71

1347.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$1.90 ₱122

182.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.10 ₱70.3

30.91%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-1.32%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

25.30%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$103 ₱6,570

-17.54%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$15.47 ₱988

51.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$25.08 ₱1,602

14.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$32.41 ₱2,071

76.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$5.03 ₱321

2.19%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$767 ₱49.0K

-73.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$7,158 ₱457.3K

-45.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$59.9 ₱3,828

-27.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$7.65 ₱489

441.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$78.4 ₱5,010

-5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$102 ₱6,541

-12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$189 ₱12.1K

418.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$159 ₱10.2K

139.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$351 ₱22.4K

386.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$262 ₱16.8K

310.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$463 ₱29.6K

1229.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$231 ₱14.8K

217.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.5

52.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dagupan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Dagupan

$159 21.8% 58.3% $222

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Dagupan

$194 26.5% 24% $61

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Dagupan

$78 10.6% 61.6% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Dagupan

$143 19.6% 4.8% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Dagupan

$112 15.3% 0% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Dagupan

$42 5.8% 36.9% $25

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Dagupan

$2.6 * 0.4% 94.9% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $189 in Dagupan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $12 in Dagupan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $194 – making Dagupan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Dagupan

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

05:35 5:35 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

174,302

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Dagupan 14,960 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Dagupan

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 Dagupan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,096 in Dagupan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dagupan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $189 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $12 in Dagupan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dagupan, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Dagupan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $730 in Dagupan to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Dagupan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.