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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $730 in Muntinlupa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,161 in Muntinlupa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,592 in Muntinlupa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 79% more expensive than in Muntinlupa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Muntinlupa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$4.10 ₱257

191.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$25.76 ₱1,615

83.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$2.84 ₱178

313.73%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.28 ₱143

80.70%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.94 ₱58.7

48.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.43 ₱26.99

111.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.17 ₱73.4

174.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.82 ₱114

288.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.63 ₱102

3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.17 ₱73.5

83.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.02 ₱64.1

73.53%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.03 ₱127

38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.23 ₱328

75.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.83 ₱240

140.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$6.99 ₱438

80.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.35 ₱148

25.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.53 ₱96.2

3.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.55 ₱160

-12.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.26 ₱79.1

87.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.80 ₱113

10.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.91 ₱120

3.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.83 ₱51.8

49.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.59 ₱37.07

105.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.92 ₱183

57.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.88 ₱557

18.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.28 ₱80.1

32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.01 ₱126

37.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.27 ₱17.06

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$11.10 ₱696

167.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.78 ₱48.83

571.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.21 ₱13.13

1638.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$1.97 ₱123

193.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.20 ₱75.4

28.33%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

5.87%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

35.04%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$125 ₱7,811

-27.23%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$15.36 ₱963

64.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$23.80 ₱1,492

33.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$32.06 ₱2,010

114.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$4.72 ₱296

522.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.36 ₱336

-9.33%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$133 ₱8,323

69.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$9,086 ₱569.6K

-53.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$32.27 ₱2,023

46.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$19.35 ₱1,213

124.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$78.3 ₱4,906

2.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$58.8 ₱3,688

55.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$272 ₱17.1K

299.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$175 ₱11.0K

133.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$496 ₱31.1K

297.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$402 ₱25.2K

218.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,639 ₱165.4K

53.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,054 ₱66.1K

536.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$621 ₱38.9K

24.56%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Muntinlupa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $272 in Muntinlupa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 25% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Muntinlupa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $181 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 79% 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 25% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $272 in Muntinlupa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 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 53% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $730 in Muntinlupa versus $1,305 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 $730 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 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.