Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Davao

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $839 in Davao.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Davao $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,275 in Davao.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Davao $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,712 in Davao.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Davao $1,712

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 44% more expensive than in Davao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Davao 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$4.71 ₱300

131.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$26.33 ₱1,678

64.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$3.83 ₱244

207.57%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.53 ₱161

50.59%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$1.06 ₱67.5

20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.62 ₱39.77

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.53 ₱97.3

107.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.38 ₱151

107.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.96 ₱125

-28.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.07 ₱68.2

107.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$0.91 ₱58.1

56.04%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$1.84 ₱117

36.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$6.41 ₱408

13.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$4.59 ₱293

67.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$8.97 ₱572

41.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.68 ₱171

3.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.06 ₱67.6

29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$2.43 ₱155

4.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.14 ₱72.5

85.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.99 ₱126

-2.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$3.35 ₱214

-43.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.24 ₱78.9

-7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.71 ₱45.18

66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$2.46 ₱157

74.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$7.99 ₱509

24.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.27 ₱80.7

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.58 ₱101

68.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.21 ₱13.37

161.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$13.16 ₱839

102.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$0.81 ₱51.6

513.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.24 ₱15.38

1287.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$1.83 ₱117

192.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.22 ₱77.4

18.03%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-3.15%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

23.21%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$105 ₱6,684

-19.17%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$19.14 ₱1,219

22.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$30.17 ₱1,922

-5.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$34.37 ₱2,190

65.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$3.44 ₱219

740.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$4.75 ₱303

8.21%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$104 ₱6,646

98.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$7,536 ₱480.2K

-47.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$61.0 ₱3,890

-28.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$30.74 ₱1,959

34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$69.7 ₱4,440

6.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$60.1 ₱3,829

48.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$350 ₱22.3K

179.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$229 ₱14.6K

66.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$723 ₱46.1K

136.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$404 ₱25.7K

166.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$1,584 ₱100.9K

148.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,364 ₱86.9K

351.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$207 ₱13.2K

254.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.31

37.79%

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 Davao: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Davao

$229 27.3% 39.8% $152

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Davao

$197 23.5% 22.6% $58

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Davao

$99 11.8% 51.3% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Davao

$154 18.4% 12.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Davao

$100 11.9% 10.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Davao

$44 5.2% 34.8% $23

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Davao

$16 1.9% 68.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $350 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $26 in Davao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $197 per month, with Davao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Davao

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

03:18 3:18 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,632,991

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Davao 15,300 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Davao

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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 3.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $350 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Davao – a meal for two runs $26 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $839 in Davao – Davao is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $839 in Davao versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.