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: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $527 in Koronadal City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $818 in Koronadal City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,108 in Koronadal City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 131% more expensive than in Koronadal City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Koronadal City 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$197

$4.27 ₱268

156.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$806

$17.11 ₱1,073

162.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$214

$3.31 ₱207

260.12%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.4

$2.25 ₱141

68.89%

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

$1.31 MX$23.57

$0.38 ₱23.84

244.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.39

$0.33 ₱20.89

160.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$57.7

$1.19 ₱74.8

169.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.1

$1.94 ₱122

158.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.20

$1.53 ₱95.7

-4.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$41.81

$0.65 ₱41.04

258.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.92

$0.91 ₱57.3

58.24%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.23

$1.29 ₱81.1

90.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$138

$6.58 ₱413

17.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$142

$2.83 ₱177

178.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$230

$4.84 ₱304

164.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.4

$2.43 ₱153

20.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.55

$0.83 ₱51.9

71.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.10

$1.43 ₱89.4

79.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.41

$1.08 ₱68.0

98.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.99

$2.14 ₱134

-8.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$34.79

$2.65 ₱166

-26.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.68

$1.19 ₱74.7

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$21.94

$0.65 ₱40.63

87.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$78.6

$2.39 ₱150

83.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$177

$7.18 ₱450

37.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.63

$0.93 ₱58.6

65.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$48.80

$1.60 ₱100

70.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.43

$0.25 ₱15.65

108.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$493

$11.12 ₱697

146.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.3

$0.70 ₱43.72

601.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.3

$0.23 ₱14.32

1430.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$102

$1.95 ₱122

191.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.67

$1.05 ₱65.7

46.67%

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

$21.2K MX$381.7K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

-2.12%

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

$24.5K MX$440.0K

$14.6K ₱916.8K

67.52%

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

$83.6 MX$1,502

$106 ₱6,641

-21.03%

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

$24.03 MX$432

$19.51 ₱1,224

23.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$527

$31.33 ₱1,965

-6.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,166

$22.56 ₱1,415

187.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$529

$4.53 ₱284

550.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.4

$2.84 ₱178

79.23%

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

$208 MX$3,732

$108 ₱6,793

91.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$72.7K

$7,654 ₱480.1K

-47.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$801

$12.02 ₱754

270.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$756

$8.74 ₱548

381.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,357

$47.27 ₱2,965

59.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,642

$39.35 ₱2,468

132.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.7K

$73.4 ₱4,605

1243.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,921

$46.50 ₱2,916

728.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$30.8K

$143 ₱8,952

1100.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$19.9K

$96.6 ₱6,059

1047.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.2K

$2,438 ₱152.9K

64.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.3K

$998 ₱62.6K

525.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.6K

$130 ₱8,145

483.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.5

76.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Koronadal City: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $73.4 in Koronadal City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 484% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Koronadal City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $154 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 131% 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.

Average pay runs 484% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.4 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 $17.00 versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $527 in Koronadal City – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $527 in Koronadal City versus $1,215 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 $527 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 131% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.