Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Muntinlupa

For one person, living is cheaper in Muntinlupa: $727 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Muntinlupa
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Muntinlupa Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Muntinlupa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Muntinlupa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Muntinlupa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $727 in Muntinlupa.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Muntinlupa $727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,154 in Muntinlupa.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Muntinlupa $1,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,581 in Muntinlupa.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Muntinlupa $1,581

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 66% more expensive than in Muntinlupa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Muntinlupa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$3.93 ₱251

177.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$26.10 ₱1,668

66.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$2.79 ₱178

322.22%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.31 ₱147

64.94%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.92 ₱59.1

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.45 ₱29.03

73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.19 ₱75.8

166.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$1.84 ₱118

167.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.62 ₱103

-12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.19 ₱75.9

86.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.02 ₱65.4

39.22%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.98 ₱126

27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$5.02 ₱321

44.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$3.66 ₱234

110.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$6.89 ₱440

84.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.29 ₱146

21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.50 ₱95.7

-8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.52 ₱161

1.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.23 ₱78.4

72.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.69 ₱108

14.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.86 ₱119

1.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.06 ₱67.5

8.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.53 ₱34.14

122.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$2.91 ₱186

47.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$8.67 ₱554

14.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.29 ₱82.6

22.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.96 ₱125

36.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.24 ₱15.58

129.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$12.36 ₱790

115.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.71 ₱45.21

600.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.23 ₱14.72

1347.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$1.90 ₱122

182.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.23 ₱78.7

17.07%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-2.55%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

21.59%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$122 ₱7,775

-30.32%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$15.80 ₱1,010

48.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$24.08 ₱1,539

19.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$31.18 ₱1,992

82.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$5.39 ₱344

436.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$4.99 ₱319

3.01%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$133 ₱8,485

55.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$8,812 ₱563.0K

-55.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$32.76 ₱2,093

32.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$18.94 ₱1,210

118.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$75.5 ₱4,823

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$56.7 ₱3,622

57.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$281 ₱17.9K

248.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$166 ₱10.6K

129.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$493 ₱31.5K

246.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$395 ₱25.2K

172.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$2,645 ₱169.0K

49.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,105 ₱70.6K

457.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$595 ₱38.0K

23.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Muntinlupa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Muntinlupa

$166 22.8% 56.4% $215

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Muntinlupa

$178 24.5% 30.2% $77

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Muntinlupa

$83 11.4% 59.2% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Muntinlupa

$162 22.2% 18.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Muntinlupa

$83 11.4% 25.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Muntinlupa

$41 5.7% 38.9% $26

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Muntinlupa

$15 2.1% 69.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $281 in Muntinlupa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $26 in Muntinlupa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $178 per month, with Muntinlupa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Muntinlupa

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

00:08 12:08 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

543,445

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Muntinlupa 15,050 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Muntinlupa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Muntinlupa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muntinlupa wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Muntinlupa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Muntinlupa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $133 in Muntinlupa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Muntinlupa versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Muntinlupa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Muntinlupa 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 Muntinlupa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.