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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $571 in Koronadal City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $860 in Koronadal City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,149 in Koronadal City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 123% more expensive than Koronadal City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Koronadal City 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.38 ₱266

171.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$14.38 ₱873

198.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.67 ₱223

190.19%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.97 ₱120

75.13%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.45 ₱27.33

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.36 ₱21.97

163.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.30 ₱79.2

133.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.81 ₱110

154.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.73 ₱105

-20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.72 ₱43.47

156.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.94 ₱56.9

71.28%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.47 ₱89.1

76.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.09 ₱370

35.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.15 ₱191

165.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.55 ₱337

92.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.70 ₱164

-2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.91 ₱55.5

63.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.57 ₱95.1

22.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.19 ₱72.5

75.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.30 ₱139

-19.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.99 ₱181

-24.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.12 ₱67.9

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.56 ₱33.92

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.58 ₱157

60.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.43 ₱451

39.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.98 ₱59.4

75.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.55 ₱93.9

68.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.32 ₱19.56

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$17.87 ₱1,085

50.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.77 ₱46.82

306.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.25 ₱15.18

904.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.10 ₱127

50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.13 ₱68.9

12.39%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.6K ₱1.4M

34.42%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$15.7K ₱953.2K

50.11%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$106 ₱6,439

-21.73%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$26.73 ₱1,623

-15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$36.84 ₱2,237

-20.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$25.16 ₱1,528

102.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$4.38 ₱266

318.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.06 ₱186

61.11%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$121 ₱7,324

63.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,334 ₱263.1K

21.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$13.39 ₱813

175.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$10.06 ₱611

296.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$53.8 ₱3,264

48.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$44.84 ₱2,723

99.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$80.3 ₱4,877

1090.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$50.9 ₱3,093

836.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$161 ₱9,788

921.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$105 ₱6,355

1070.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,151 ₱130.6K

82.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,073 ₱65.1K

502.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$131 ₱7,952

409.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.5

75.69%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Koronadal City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $80.3 in Koronadal City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 409% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Koronadal City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $163 per month, with Koronadal 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 Koronadal City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koronadal City wins on cost – living expenses run 123% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Koronadal City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 409% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $80.3 in Koronadal City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Koronadal City – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $571 in Koronadal City – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $571 in Koronadal City versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Koronadal City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Koronadal City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Koronadal City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $571 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Koronadal City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Koronadal City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.