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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $778 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,211 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,644 in Malaybalay.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Malaybalay 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.37 ₱269

168.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$16.17 ₱997

157.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.91 ₱241

172.12%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.07 ₱128

70.05%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.51 ₱31.67

196.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.36 ₱22.49

169.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.08 ₱66.7

173.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.75 ₱108

154.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.74 ₱107

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.28 ₱78.7

47.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.99 ₱60.9

65.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.09 ₱129

20.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.98 ₱369

39.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.49 ₱277

85.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.21 ₱444

48.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.90 ₱179

-10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.19 ₱73.5

22.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.38 ₱147

-20.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.35 ₱83.4

54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.30 ₱142

-22.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$3.31 ₱204

-33.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.32 ₱81.4

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.60 ₱37.29

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.69 ₱166

51.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.91 ₱488

30.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.40 ₱86.1

22.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.50 ₱92.2

72.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.28 ₱17.37

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.91 ₱56.2

258.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.25 ₱15.47

896.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.18 ₱134

49.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.14 ₱70.5

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$22.6K ₱1.4M

34.23%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

11.89%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$103 ₱6,357

-19.62%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$33.29 ₱2,053

-33.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$36.73 ₱2,265

-20.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$34.32 ₱2,116

50.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$4.46 ₱275

310.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.53 ₱279

11.92%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$119 ₱7,334

68.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,392 ₱270.8K

18.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$45.45 ₱2,803

-18.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$30.66 ₱1,890

29.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$77.1 ₱4,756

1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$70.1 ₱4,320

24.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$271 ₱16.7K

259.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$178 ₱11.0K

162.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$576 ₱35.5K

184.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$393 ₱24.2K

210.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,167 ₱133.6K

82.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$905 ₱55.8K

617.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.56

19.46%

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 Malaybalay: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $271 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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 ($1,297 vs $778 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,166 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $119 in Malaybalay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Malaybalay versus $1,297 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.