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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $798 in Laoag City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,218 in Laoag City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,639 in Laoag City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 63% more than Laoag City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Laoag City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Laoag City 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.63 ₱224

223.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$14.98 ₱924

177.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.30 ₱203

222.42%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.48 ₱153

41.94%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.78 ₱48.40

93.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.40 ₱24.52

142.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.35 ₱83.2

118.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.14 ₱132

107.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.89 ₱116

-26.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.26 ₱77.6

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.99 ₱61.0

65.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.23 ₱137

12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.17 ₱504

2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.50 ₱462

11.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.81 ₱482

37.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.97 ₱183

-12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.58 ₱97.7

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.66 ₱164

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.57 ₱96.7

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.20 ₱135

-19.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.59 ₱160

-15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.11 ₱68.5

-6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.77 ₱47.23

40.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.10 ₱191

31.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.15 ₱503

26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.00 ₱61.9

71.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.06 ₱127

25.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.26 ₱15.97

96.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.84 ₱51.6

288.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.26 ₱16.15

857.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.16 ₱133

50.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.07 ₱66.0

22.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$26.4K ₱1.6M

14.60%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

14.10%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$114 ₱7,042

-27.43%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$32.36 ₱1,996

-31.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$26.18 ₱1,615

12.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$15.18 ₱936

240.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$4.49 ₱277

308.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.06 ₱374

-16.34%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$150 ₱9,247

33.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,236 ₱261.2K

23.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$45.02 ₱2,776

-17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$26.19 ₱1,615

51.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$76.2 ₱4,701

2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$52.3 ₱3,224

66.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$270 ₱16.7K

259.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$204 ₱12.6K

128.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$429 ₱26.5K

282.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$387 ₱23.9K

215.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,479 ₱152.9K

59.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,081 ₱66.6K

501.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$160 ₱9,882

314.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Laoag City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $270 in Laoag 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 314% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Laoag City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $223 – making Laoag 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 Laoag City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 63% more than Laoag City, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,197 in Laoag City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $798 in Laoag City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $150 in Laoag City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $798, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Laoag City costs $798 versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Laoag 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.