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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $957 in Manila, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,538 in Manila, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,118 in Manila, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Manila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Manila 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$5.28 ₱325

127.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$27.12 ₱1,669

54.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$4.55 ₱280

136.26%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.73 ₱168

28.21%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.96 ₱59.2

51.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.50 ₱30.96

76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.54 ₱94.7

91.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.65 ₱163

70.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.90 ₱117

-24.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.33 ₱81.9

38.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.07 ₱66.1

46.73%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.08 ₱128

20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$9.28 ₱572

-10.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$5.21 ₱321

61.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$8.55 ₱526

24.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$3.54 ₱218

-26.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.80 ₱111

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$3.58 ₱221

-45.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$2.50 ₱154

-16.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.78 ₱171

-33.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$3.16 ₱194

-31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.98 ₱122

-47.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.68 ₱42.17

57.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$3.31 ₱204

23.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$9.50 ₱585

7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.46 ₱90.0

15.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.11 ₱130

19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.48 ₱29.41

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$12.15 ₱748

114.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$0.88 ₱54.0

267.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.27 ₱16.65

792.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.08 ₱128

55.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.17 ₱72.3

12.82%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

13.91%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$22.8K ₱1.4M

3.66%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$135 ₱8,337

-39.44%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$21.56 ₱1,327

6.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$27.58 ₱1,698

9.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$41.41 ₱2,549

25.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$6.82 ₱420

171.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.92 ₱426

-28.03%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$363 ₱22.3K

-45.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$11.6K ₱713.4K

-53.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$47.10 ₱2,900

-24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$34.39 ₱2,117

17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$81.9 ₱5,040

-3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$47.42 ₱2,919

87.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$486 ₱29.9K

95.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$272 ₱16.7K

74.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$1,729 ₱106.5K

-4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$641 ₱39.5K

88.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$4,332 ₱266.7K

-6.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$2,602 ₱160.2K

148.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$467 ₱28.7K

40.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.52

51.86%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Manila: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $486 in Manila. 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 40% 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 $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $241 – making Manila 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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $957 in Manila – roughly 31% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,436 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $957 in Manila. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 114% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $957 in Manila to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Manila. 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.