Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Makati Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Makati

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,232 in Makati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,009 in Makati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,786 in Makati.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than Makati, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Makati 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.80 ₱419

72.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$45.15 ₱2,784

-7.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.93 ₱304

115.82%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.87 ₱177

22.65%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.19 ₱73.5

26.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.56 ₱34.76

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.44 ₱151

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.66 ₱225

21.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.14 ₱132

-35.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.43 ₱88.4

32.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.08 ₱66.5

51.85%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.34 ₱144

7.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.16 ₱503

2.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.43 ₱273

88.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.64 ₱471

40.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$4.57 ₱282

-43.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.92 ₱118

-23.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.70 ₱166

-29.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.25 ₱139

-7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$3.29 ₱203

-45.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.86 ₱177

-23.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.08 ₱66.8

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.99 ₱61.3

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.94 ₱181

38.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.28 ₱511

24.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.20 ₱74.1

42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.34 ₱144

10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.51 ₱31.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$3.58 ₱221

639.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.81 ₱50.0

302.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.12 ₱7.44

1975.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$3.58 ₱221

-9.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.10 ₱67.8

19.09%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.3K ₱2.1M

-11.66%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

8.99%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$172 ₱10.6K

-51.83%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$26.94 ₱1,661

-17.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$36.49 ₱2,250

-19.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$56.0 ₱3,452

-7.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.79 ₱727

55.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$7.90 ₱487

-35.82%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$321 ₱19.8K

-37.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,538 ₱464.8K

-30.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$60.3 ₱3,717

-38.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$35.62 ₱2,197

11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$85.6 ₱5,277

-8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$122 ₱7,516

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$666 ₱41.1K

46.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$390 ₱24.0K

19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$2,260 ₱139.4K

-27.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,024 ₱63.1K

19.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$6,010 ₱370.6K

-34.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$3,852 ₱237.5K

68.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$682 ₱42.0K

-2.59%

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 Makati: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $666 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $45.00 in Makati. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $234, with Makati cheaper for home cooking.

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 Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Makati earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $666 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,232 in Makati – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Makati runs roughly 639% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Makati versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Makati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makati hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Makati are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.