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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $769 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,198 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,626 in Marawi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than in Marawi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Marawi 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.65 ₱223

221.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$17.59 ₱1,077

138.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.33 ₱204

215.62%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.39 ₱146

50.21%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.83 ₱51.0

81.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.36 ₱22.15

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.35 ₱82.7

119.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.10 ₱128

110.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.83 ₱112

-23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.28 ₱78.1

46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.94 ₱57.4

65.96%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.01 ₱123

29.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.97 ₱488

4.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.36 ₱267

91.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.63 ₱467

42.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.00 ₱184

-9.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.57 ₱96.3

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.58 ₱158

-27.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.54 ₱94.1

42.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.20 ₱134

-15.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.59 ₱158

-13.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.08 ₱65.8

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.75 ₱46.08

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.88 ₱177

45.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.89 ₱483

32.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.20 ₱73.4

38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.06 ₱126

26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.28 ₱17.25

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.84 ₱51.1

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.22 ₱13.43

990.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.10 ₱129

49.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.14 ₱69.9

14.91%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$26.3K ₱1.6M

13.34%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$20.1K ₱1.2M

16.30%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$111 ₱6,813

-26.97%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$33.10 ₱2,026

-31.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$27.05 ₱1,656

11.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$33.43 ₱2,046

58.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$4.54 ₱278

305.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.09 ₱373

-19.21%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$150 ₱9,194

33.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,333 ₱265.3K

19.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$46.11 ₱2,823

-22.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$26.87 ₱1,645

49.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$74.1 ₱4,538

7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$53.1 ₱3,253

62.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$270 ₱16.5K

262.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$178 ₱10.9K

164.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$596 ₱36.5K

176.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$397 ₱24.3K

203.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,233 ₱136.7K

77.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$960 ₱58.7K

588.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$289 ₱17.7K

134.12%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Marawi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $270 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 134% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $205 per month, with Marawi 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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Marawi differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $769 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 134% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $270 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $150 in Marawi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marawi – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $769 in Marawi versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marawi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Marawi 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 Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.