Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dasmarinas Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dasmarinas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $497 in Dasmarinas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $734 in Dasmarinas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $972 in Dasmarinas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 155% more expensive than in Dasmarinas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Dasmarinas 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.01 ₱252

189.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$16.93 ₱1,062

178.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.75 ₱172

332.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.83 ₱115

117.49%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.60 ₱37.85

138.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.30 ₱19.08

173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.01 ₱63.3

215.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.61 ₱101

321.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.37 ₱86.1

22.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.15 ₱71.9

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.68 ₱42.67

151.47%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.79 ₱113

53.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.18 ₱325

84.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.37 ₱212

167.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$4.50 ₱283

184.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.19 ₱138

31.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.53 ₱95.7

-1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.39 ₱150

-10.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.02 ₱64.0

121.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.68 ₱106

17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.73 ₱108

15.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.66 ₱41.16

86.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.53 ₱33.43

126.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.99 ₱188

52.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.91 ₱559

16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.96 ₱59.9

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.04 ₱128

41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.83 ₱52.0

549.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.25 ₱15.69

1392.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.87 ₱117

208.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.95 ₱59.7

62.11%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

4.10%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

35.89%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$47.94 ₱3,007

90.61%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$17.45 ₱1,094

44.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$23.62 ₱1,481

32.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$33.48 ₱2,100

100.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.21 ₱327

-6.72%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$134 ₱8,427

66.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.9K ₱681.7K

-61.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$28.56 ₱1,791

64.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$19.51 ₱1,223

127.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$71.1 ₱4,460

12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$54.7 ₱3,433

69.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$48.23 ₱3,025

709.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$353 ₱22.1K

115.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.4

78.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Dasmarinas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 115% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Dasmarinas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $160 per month, with Dasmarinas 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 Dasmarinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Dasmarinas differ by about 155% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $497 including rent). Dasmarinas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $134 in Dasmarinas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dasmarinas – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $497 in Dasmarinas versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dasmarinas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Dasmarinas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Dasmarinas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dasmarinas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.