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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $908 in Muntinlupa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,443 in Muntinlupa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,978 in Muntinlupa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than Muntinlupa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Muntinlupa 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.86 ₱300

141.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$26.26 ₱1,619

58.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.10 ₱191

243.23%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.61 ₱161

34.87%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.93 ₱57.5

62.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.46 ₱28.06

110.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.39 ₱85.7

112.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.60 ₱160

71.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.95 ₱120

-29.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.30 ₱79.9

45.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.04 ₱64.2

57.69%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.97 ₱121

27.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.94 ₱428

20.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.65 ₱287

79.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.39 ₱456

45.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.88 ₱239

-32.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.63 ₱100

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.90 ₱179

-34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.40 ₱148

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.79 ₱172

-36.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$3.15 ₱194

-30.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$2.04 ₱126

-49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.00 ₱61.7

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.15 ₱194

29.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.87 ₱547

16.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.54 ₱95.1

11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.95 ₱120

32.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.26 ₱15.88

96.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$14.26 ₱879

85.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.81 ₱50.1

302.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.22 ₱13.56

1031.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.15 ₱133

51.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.11 ₱68.6

18.02%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$25.4K ₱1.6M

19.06%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

14.70%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$136 ₱8,365

-38.92%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$21.84 ₱1,347

1.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$30.19 ₱1,861

-2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$49.51 ₱3,053

4.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$4.40 ₱271

316.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.68 ₱412

-24.10%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$113 ₱6,996

76.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,642 ₱286.2K

12.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$45.94 ₱2,833

-19.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$35.22 ₱2,172

12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$97.2 ₱5,996

-19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$95.3 ₱5,878

-8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$402 ₱24.8K

141.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$207 ₱12.8K

125.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,162 ₱71.6K

41.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$437 ₱27.0K

179.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,468 ₱152.2K

59.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$975 ₱60.1K

566.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$630 ₱38.8K

5.39%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Muntinlupa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $402 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 $26.00 in Muntinlupa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $228 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 43% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 5% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $402 in Muntinlupa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $113 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 $908 in Muntinlupa versus $1,297 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 $908 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 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.