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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $776 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,222 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,669 in Marawi.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$3.45 ₱208

240.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$17.46 ₱1,052

139.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$3.37 ₱203

208.90%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.45 ₱148

47.35%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.79 ₱47.50

84.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.39 ₱23.69

148.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.36 ₱82.0

114.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.09 ₱126

121.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.84 ₱111

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.27 ₱76.7

49.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$0.95 ₱57.2

65.26%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.02 ₱122

30.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$7.99 ₱481

5.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$4.26 ₱257

101.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.84 ₱472

40.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.88 ₱173

-6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.52 ₱91.8

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.62 ₱158

-27.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.54 ₱92.5

40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.29 ₱138

-18.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.54 ₱153

-12.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.07 ₱64.3

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.71 ₱42.61

50.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.88 ₱174

44.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$7.85 ₱473

31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.19 ₱71.8

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.04 ₱123

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.26 ₱15.46

111.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.79 ₱47.33

305.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.22 ₱13.19

1018.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.11 ₱127

51.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.14 ₱68.5

15.79%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

12.37%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$20.7K ₱1.2M

12.84%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$112 ₱6,743

-27.33%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$32.48 ₱1,956

-31.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$27.27 ₱1,642

9.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$33.27 ₱2,004

54.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$4.41 ₱266

317.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.92 ₱356

-12.84%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$152 ₱9,125

33.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$4,297 ₱258.8K

23.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$46.29 ₱2,788

-23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$26.22 ₱1,579

53.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$74.9 ₱4,512

4.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$52.6 ₱3,166

65.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$262 ₱15.8K

261.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$177 ₱10.7K

170.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$589 ₱35.5K

175.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$393 ₱23.6K

211.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,285 ₱137.6K

75.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$997 ₱60.0K

549.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$297 ₱17.9K

126.40%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Marawi: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $262 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 126% 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 $17.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $204 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 67% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $776 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 126% more on average, 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $152 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 $17.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $776 in Marawi versus $1,294 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 67% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.