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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $568 in Koronadal City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $869 in Koronadal City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,170 in Koronadal City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 128% more expensive than Koronadal City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Koronadal City 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$4.41 ₱266

165.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$14.21 ₱856

194.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$3.65 ₱220

185.21%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.94 ₱117

86.08%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.46 ₱27.58

217.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.36 ₱21.88

169.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.37 ₱82.3

113.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$1.78 ₱107

159.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.74 ₱105

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.72 ₱43.32

163.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$0.98 ₱59.2

60.20%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.50 ₱90.3

76.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$5.94 ₱358

42.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$3.15 ₱190

172.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$5.34 ₱321

105.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.68 ₱161

0.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$0.89 ₱53.3

69.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.63 ₱98.1

17.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.19 ₱71.8

82.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.28 ₱137

-17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.96 ₱178

-24.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.12 ₱67.3

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.59 ₱35.70

81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.65 ₱160

56.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$7.47 ₱450

37.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.03 ₱62.0

63.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.51 ₱90.7

67.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.32 ₱19.53

71.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$17.79 ₱1,071

47.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.77 ₱46.48

315.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.25 ₱15.08

884.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.08 ₱125

53.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.11 ₱66.6

18.92%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$22.4K ₱1.3M

34.72%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$16.2K ₱976.2K

44.33%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$103 ₱6,229

-21.35%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$26.96 ₱1,624

-16.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$36.32 ₱2,188

-17.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$25.21 ₱1,518

104.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$4.55 ₱274

304.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$3.03 ₱183

70.30%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$120 ₱7,248

67.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$4,329 ₱260.7K

22.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$13.48 ₱812

164.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$10.11 ₱609

299.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$52.4 ₱3,158

49.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$44.57 ₱2,684

94.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$79.0 ₱4,760

1101.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$51.4 ₱3,098

829.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$161 ₱9,667

909.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$107 ₱6,456

1040.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,676 ₱161.1K

49.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$985 ₱59.3K

557.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$132 ₱7,976

408.10%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Koronadal City: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $79.0 in Koronadal City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 408% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $14.00 in Koronadal City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 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 128% 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 408% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $79.0 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $568 in Koronadal City – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $568 in Koronadal City versus $1,294 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 $568 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 128% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.