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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $532 in Koronadal City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $814 in Koronadal City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,097 in Koronadal City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 150% more expensive than in Koronadal City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Koronadal City 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$4.37 ₱269

197.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$16.78 ₱1,034

175.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$3.43 ₱212

267.06%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.28 ₱141

75.44%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.43 ₱26.40

230.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.30 ₱18.80

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.07 ₱65.9

185.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$1.73 ₱106

294.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.57 ₱96.9

8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.72 ₱44.54

208.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$0.93 ₱57.2

84.95%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.38 ₱85.3

96.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$6.78 ₱418

38.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$2.95 ₱182

200.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$4.87 ₱300

162.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.44 ₱151

28.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$0.81 ₱49.88

91.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.43 ₱88.0

50.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.14 ₱70.3

106.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$2.17 ₱134

-6.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$2.82 ₱174

-29.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.19 ₱73.1

4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.70 ₱43.33

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.51 ₱155

85.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$7.55 ₱465

38.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$0.87 ₱53.5

81.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$1.62 ₱99.8

80.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.25 ₱15.29

124.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$11.49 ₱708

159.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.76 ₱47.02

600.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.23 ₱14.13

1517.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$2.00 ₱123

189.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.02 ₱63.0

51.96%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$21.6K ₱1.3M

3.80%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$14.4K ₱886.1K

77.89%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$108 ₱6,664

-17.41%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$19.13 ₱1,179

21.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$32.22 ₱1,986

-1.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$23.15 ₱1,427

197.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$4.45 ₱274

560.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$2.78 ₱171

82.01%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$110 ₱6,751

102.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$7,663 ₱472.4K

-43.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$12.23 ₱754

277.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$9.15 ₱564

385.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$49.60 ₱3,058

92.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$40.13 ₱2,474

130.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$73.3 ₱4,521

1357.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$47.80 ₱2,947

722.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$144 ₱8,891

1278.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$96.2 ₱5,931

1255.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,245 ₱138.4K

79.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,071 ₱66.0K

518.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$131 ₱8,062

471.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

6.5

78.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Koronadal City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $73.3 in Koronadal City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 471% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Koronadal City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $158 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 150% 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 471% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.3 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 $17.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $532 in Koronadal City – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $532 in Koronadal City versus $1,330 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 $532 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 150% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.