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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $782 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,212 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,643 in Marawi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than Marawi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Marawi 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.58 ₱221

233.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$18.02 ₱1,112

137.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.27 ₱202

223.85%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.44 ₱151

48.36%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.81 ₱50.2

81.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.39 ₱24.13

141.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.35 ₱83.1

128.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.10 ₱129

112.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.92 ₱119

-25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.22 ₱75.5

54.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.93 ₱57.6

75.27%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.06 ₱127

28.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$8.22 ₱507

-0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.30 ₱265

92.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.79 ₱480

42.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.89 ₱178

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.59 ₱98.0

-5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.58 ₱159

-22.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.55 ₱95.5

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.25 ₱139

-20.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.53 ₱156

-13.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.11 ₱68.8

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.76 ₱46.93

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.80 ₱172

41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.28 ₱449

40.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.19 ₱73.4

45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.00 ₱123

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.28 ₱17.32

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.78 ₱48.06

302.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.24 ₱14.85

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.11 ₱130

46.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.10 ₱68.2

15.45%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$26.9K ₱1.7M

14.77%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

13.22%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$113 ₱6,948

-27.19%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$32.89 ₱2,029

-31.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$27.09 ₱1,671

9.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$34.55 ₱2,131

50.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$4.46 ₱275

318.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.96 ₱368

-16.61%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$154 ₱9,474

28.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,228 ₱260.8K

24.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$44.90 ₱2,769

-19.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$26.81 ₱1,654

49.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$75.6 ₱4,665

5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$53.0 ₱3,266

67.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$261 ₱16.1K

269.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$177 ₱10.9K

162.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$585 ₱36.1K

172.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$393 ₱24.3K

207.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,531 ₱156.1K

55.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$246 ₱15.2K

2519.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$296 ₱18.3K

143.48%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Marawi: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $261 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 143% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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 65% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $782 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 143% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $261 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $154 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $782 in Marawi versus $1,287 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 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.