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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $907 in Muntinlupa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,445 in Muntinlupa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,982 in Muntinlupa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than in Muntinlupa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Muntinlupa 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$4.86 ₱300

146.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$27.00 ₱1,665

54.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.10 ₱191

246.77%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.71 ₱167

29.15%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.93 ₱57.6

55.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.46 ₱28.15

91.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.45 ₱89.7

103.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.68 ₱165

68.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.97 ₱121

-27.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.24 ₱76.3

48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.04 ₱64.3

50.96%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.02 ₱124

24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.92 ₱427

19.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.77 ₱294

76.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.66 ₱472

39.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$4.04 ₱249

-35.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.59 ₱97.8

-9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.96 ₱182

-33.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.42 ₱149

-13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.67 ₱165

-30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$3.02 ₱186

-28.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.97 ₱121

-47.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.00 ₱61.8

7.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.13 ₱193

30.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.71 ₱537

16.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.55 ₱95.4

8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.98 ₱122

27.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.28 ₱17.35

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$13.98 ₱862

86.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.81 ₱50.0

298.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.24 ₱14.81

904.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.12 ₱131

52.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.10 ₱68.1

20.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

13.90%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

14.22%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$139 ₱8,559

-40.91%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$21.53 ₱1,328

6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$30.18 ₱1,861

-0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$49.03 ₱3,024

6.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$4.49 ₱277

312.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.59 ₱406

-24.43%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$115 ₱7,068

72.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,636 ₱285.9K

15.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$46.47 ₱2,866

-23.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$34.50 ₱2,127

16.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$98.6 ₱6,080

-20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$95.1 ₱5,863

-6.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$399 ₱24.6K

137.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$210 ₱13.0K

125.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,160 ₱71.5K

41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$438 ₱27.0K

176.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,398 ₱147.9K

69.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$966 ₱59.6K

569.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$624 ₱38.5K

4.84%

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 Muntinlupa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $399 in Muntinlupa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 5% 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 $27.00 in Muntinlupa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $229 per month, with Muntinlupa 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 Muntinlupa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muntinlupa wins on cost – living expenses run 38% 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 5% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $399 in Muntinlupa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $115 in Muntinlupa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $907 in Muntinlupa versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Muntinlupa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $907 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Muntinlupa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Muntinlupa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Muntinlupa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.