Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nueva Ecija Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nueva Ecija

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $521 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $935 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,349 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 150% more than Nueva Ecija, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nueva Ecija are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nueva Ecija 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$4.01 ₱251

198.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$16.60 ₱1,040

185.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$2.76 ₱173

325.72%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.46 ₱91.3

182.19%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.57 ₱35.43

145.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.32 ₱19.94

184.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.01 ₱63.4

217.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.56 ₱97.6

353.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.61 ₱101

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.90 ₱56.4

138.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.88 ₱55.1

101.14%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.60 ₱100

76.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.18 ₱325

77.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.46 ₱217

166.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$5.67 ₱355

122.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.26 ₱141

30.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.75 ₱46.89

110.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.71 ₱107

29.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.04 ₱65.5

126.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.67 ₱105

19.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.78 ₱112

11.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.66 ₱41.29

87.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.42 ₱26.49

188.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.19 ₱137

110.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$4.50 ₱282

133.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.90 ₱56.3

87.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.10 ₱132

31.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.27 ₱16.87

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$5.66 ₱355

424.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.69 ₱43.51

659.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.18 ₱11.20

1927.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$1.03 ₱64.6

461.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.86 ₱54.0

79.07%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$16.3K ₱1.0M

39.91%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

34.82%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$81.0 ₱5,080

11.90%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$17.83 ₱1,118

41.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$18.13 ₱1,136

75.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$31.73 ₱1,989

116.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$4.87 ₱306

503.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.40 ₱276

10.45%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$134 ₱8,392

68.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$10.6K ₱665.1K

-60.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$29.60 ₱1,856

60.07%

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

$70.8 ₱4,435

13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$56.6 ₱3,545

61.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$118 ₱7,381

822.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$66.8 ₱4,188

511.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$175 ₱11.0K

1024.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$346 ₱21.7K

270.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,545 ₱159.5K

59.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,045 ₱65.5K

541.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$189 ₱11.8K

310.14%

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 Nueva Ecija: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $118 in Nueva Ecija. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 310% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Nueva Ecija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $147 – making Nueva Ecija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 150% more than Nueva Ecija, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $782 in Nueva Ecija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nueva Ecija, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $17.00 in Nueva Ecija. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $521 in Nueva Ecija. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $521, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Nueva Ecija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nueva Ecija costs $521 versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nueva Ecija. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.