Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Iligan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Iligan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $724 in Iligan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,112 in Iligan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,499 in Iligan City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 79% more than Iligan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Iligan City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Iligan City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.80 ₱238

208.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$15.11 ₱945

208.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$2.86 ₱179

307.34%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.02 ₱126

102.48%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.58 ₱36.30

136.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.32 ₱19.72

159.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.12 ₱70.3

199.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.91 ₱120

261.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$2.02 ₱126

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.16 ₱72.6

94.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$0.91 ₱57.0

94.51%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.97 ₱123

38.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$5.40 ₱338

70.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.46 ₱279

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$7.02 ₱439

79.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.38 ₱149

26.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.56 ₱97.6

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.44 ₱153

-12.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.17 ₱73.2

93.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$2.06 ₱129

-2.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$2.01 ₱125

2.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.77 ₱48.09

53.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.53 ₱33.23

126.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.09 ₱193

49.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$7.93 ₱496

34.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$0.94 ₱58.7

72.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.70 ₱106

69.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.25 ₱15.45

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$11.85 ₱741

151.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.75 ₱46.98

626.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.23 ₱14.10

1508.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$1.83 ₱114

226.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.10 ₱68.6

40.91%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$24.6K ₱1.5M

-9.39%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$17.3K ₱1.1M

49.90%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$110 ₱6,883

-19.01%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$15.02 ₱939

66.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$24.78 ₱1,550

27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$32.53 ₱2,035

108.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$5.39 ₱337

436.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$5.32 ₱333

-5.08%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$141 ₱8,837

59.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$7,245 ₱453.1K

-41.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$31.78 ₱1,987

49.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$17.11 ₱1,070

162.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$70.7 ₱4,424

15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$54.2 ₱3,392

69.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$114 ₱7,101

841.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$171 ₱10.7K

137.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$509 ₱31.8K

280.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$346 ₱21.7K

275.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,738 ₱171.2K

45.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,143 ₱71.5K

479.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$199 ₱12.5K

275.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $114 in Iligan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 276% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Iligan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $183 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Iligan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $724 in Iligan City – roughly 79% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,087 in Iligan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iligan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 152% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $141 in Iligan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Iligan City 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 $724 in Iligan City to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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