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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $682 in Olongapo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,032 in Olongapo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,382 in Olongapo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 84% more expensive than in Olongapo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Olongapo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.65 ₱225

228.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$13.32 ₱821

213.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$2.60 ₱161

313.46%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.42 ₱149

44.63%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.64 ₱39.73

126.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.41 ₱25.24

114.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.40 ₱86.4

110.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.56 ₱96.2

189.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.91 ₱118

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.46 ₱28.42

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.87 ₱53.9

80.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.15 ₱133

16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.13 ₱563

-9.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$2.88 ₱178

192.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.47 ₱522

26.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.72 ₱168

-4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.03 ₱63.7

39.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.31 ₱142

-15.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.21 ₱74.4

72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.83 ₱113

1.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.28 ₱141

-4.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.67 ₱41.45

53.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.46 ₱28.45

132.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.19 ₱196

28.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.13 ₱563

11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.02 ₱62.9

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.28 ₱141

10.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.22 ₱13.58

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$17.89 ₱1,103

45.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.86 ₱53.2

275.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.24 ₱14.83

904.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.36 ₱145

36.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.15 ₱70.7

14.78%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$32.0K ₱2.0M

-7.34%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

15.93%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$144 ₱8,894

-43.14%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$34.47 ₱2,126

-33.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$25.75 ₱1,588

16.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$15.19 ₱937

242.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$4.41 ₱272

320.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.45 ₱274

11.91%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$87.9 ₱5,420

124.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,709 ₱290.4K

13.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$47.78 ₱2,947

-25.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$27.72 ₱1,710

45.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$76.8 ₱4,736

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$46.94 ₱2,895

89.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$126 ₱7,777

650.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$88.4 ₱5,452

436.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$263 ₱16.2K

524.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$175 ₱10.8K

591.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,266 ₱139.7K

79.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$970 ₱59.8K

567.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$136 ₱8,406

379.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.5

153.78%

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 Olongapo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $126 in Olongapo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 380% 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 $13.00 in Olongapo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $184 per month, with Olongapo 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 Olongapo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olongapo wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Olongapo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 380% 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 $126 in Olongapo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $87.9 in Olongapo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Olongapo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Olongapo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Olongapo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Olongapo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $682 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Olongapo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Olongapo 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 Olongapo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.