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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $758 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,146 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,535 in Malaybalay.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 67% more expensive than in Malaybalay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Malaybalay 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.71 ₱296

146.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$16.73 ₱1,051

181.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.66 ₱230

224.59%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.26 ₱142

76.11%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.50 ₱31.27

186.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.30 ₱19.13

173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.06 ₱66.4

200.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.84 ₱115

269.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.95 ₱123

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.14 ₱71.5

92.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.87 ₱54.6

96.55%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.95 ₱123

40.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.50 ₱409

47.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.06 ₱255

121.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.62 ₱541

48.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.58 ₱162

12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.12 ₱70.5

33.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.31 ₱145

-6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.19 ₱74.6

89.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.05 ₱129

-3.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$3.57 ₱224

-44.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.17 ₱73.6

5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.70 ₱44.08

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.52 ₱159

80.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.90 ₱497

31.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.24 ₱77.6

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.59 ₱99.8

81.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.23 ₱14.40

160.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$10.87 ₱683

164.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.81 ₱50.9

565.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.25 ₱15.75

1392.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.95 ₱123

195.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.18 ₱73.9

30.51%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

4.70%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

38.73%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$109 ₱6,818

-15.80%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$19.31 ₱1,213

30.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$30.85 ₱1,938

1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$31.66 ₱1,989

112.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.84 ₱304

501.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.90 ₱308

-0.82%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$106 ₱6,635

111.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,643 ₱480.2K

-44.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$31.89 ₱2,003

47.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$19.10 ₱1,200

131.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$70.4 ₱4,421

13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$62.1 ₱3,901

49.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$260 ₱16.3K

308.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$169 ₱10.6K

130.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$495 ₱31.1K

334.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$297 ₱18.7K

328.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,556 ₱160.6K

56.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,043 ₱65.5K

523.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.31

37.79%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $260 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $194 per month, with Malaybalay 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 Malaybalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Malaybalay differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $758 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,136 in Malaybalay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $260 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $758 in Malaybalay versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.