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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $730 in Ligao City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,098 in Ligao City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,465 in Ligao City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 77% more than Ligao City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ligao City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ligao City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$3.95 ₱247

196.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$791

$17.11 ₱1,070

172.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$2.75 ₱172

323.64%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.5

$2.15 ₱135

90.23%

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

$1.37 MX$23.34

$0.63 ₱39.16

117.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.16

$0.34 ₱21.32

144.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

$1.09 ₱67.9

207.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.90 ₱119

263.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.62 ₱101

6.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.39

$1.12 ₱69.9

101.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.05

$0.92 ₱57.6

92.39%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.41

$1.89 ₱118

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$5.25 ₱328

74.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.25 ₱266

109.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$6.93 ₱433

81.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$2.28 ₱143

32.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.68

$1.59 ₱99.5

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.10

$2.41 ₱151

-11.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.46

$1.17 ₱73.4

93.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$2.10 ₱131

-4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.06

$2.04 ₱127

0.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.04

$0.82 ₱51.4

43.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.45

$0.56 ₱35.00

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.7

$2.80 ₱175

65.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

$8.07 ₱505

32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$0.93 ₱58.4

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

$1.95 ₱122

47.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

$0.23 ₱14.61

147.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

$10.04 ₱628

197.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.5

$0.80 ₱49.75

581.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.9

$0.23 ₱14.43

1508.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

$1.87 ₱117

219.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.12 ₱70.3

38.39%

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

$22.3K MX$379.2K

$23.4K ₱1.5M

-4.75%

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

$25.9K MX$440.7K

$18.0K ₱1.1M

44.49%

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

$89.1 MX$1,514

$122 ₱7,615

-26.81%

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

$25.04 MX$425

$16.63 ₱1,040

50.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$24.57 ₱1,536

28.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

$31.71 ₱1,983

113.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

$4.92 ₱307

487.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$5.24 ₱328

-3.63%

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

$225 MX$3,820

$135 ₱8,438

66.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.7K

$8,059 ₱503.9K

-47.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

$32.61 ₱2,039

45.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

$19.35 ₱1,210

132.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,392

$71.7 ₱4,481

14.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,564

$56.8 ₱3,553

62.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

$269 ₱16.8K

298.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

$170 ₱10.6K

138.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$501 ₱31.3K

286.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

$346 ₱21.6K

276.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

$2,586 ₱161.7K

54.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

$1,026 ₱64.1K

546.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$274 ₱17.1K

173.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ligao City: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $269 in Ligao 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 174% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Ligao City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $178 – making Ligao 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 Ligao City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 77%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,095 in Ligao City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 56% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $17.00 in Ligao City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ligao City, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Ligao City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ligao City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ligao 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.