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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $714 in Olongapo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,066 in Olongapo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,418 in Olongapo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 83% more expensive than in Olongapo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Olongapo 48% 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

$16.97 ₱1,064

179.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$2.88 ₱181

307.99%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.79 ₱112

130.17%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.61 ₱38.04

129.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.34 ₱21.61

167.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.03 ₱64.3

211.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.45 ₱91.1

387.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.64 ₱103

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.38 ₱23.88

465.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.82 ₱51.2

115.85%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.94 ₱122

45.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.19 ₱325

77.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.63 ₱165

250.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.84 ₱492

61.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.22 ₱139

32.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.99 ₱61.8

59.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.42 ₱152

-8.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.03 ₱64.7

129.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.70 ₱106

17.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.80 ₱113

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.66 ₱41.23

87.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.39 ₱24.33

210.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.98 ₱187

54.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.73 ₱547

20.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.95 ₱59.9

77.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.00 ₱125

38.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.27 ₱17.03

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$11.04 ₱692

169.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.79 ₱49.46

563.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.23 ₱14.34

1486.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$1.96 ₱123

194.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.13 ₱71.0

36.28%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

8.39%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

32.45%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$130 ₱8,158

-30.32%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$17.95 ₱1,125

40.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$23.68 ₱1,485

34.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$31.71 ₱1,988

116.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$4.92 ₱308

496.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.37 ₱274

11.21%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$80.3 ₱5,033

181.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$10.7K ₱668.4K

-60.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$28.68 ₱1,798

65.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$19.44 ₱1,219

123.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$71.9 ₱4,505

11.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$56.7 ₱3,555

61.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$264 ₱16.5K

311.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$169 ₱10.6K

141.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$261 ₱16.3K

656.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$350 ₱22.0K

265.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,556 ₱160.2K

58.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,054 ₱66.0K

536.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$138 ₱8,654

460.17%

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 Olongapo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $264 in Olongapo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 460% 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 $17.00 in Olongapo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $158 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 83% 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 460% 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 $264 in Olongapo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $80.3 in Olongapo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $714 in Olongapo versus $1,305 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 $714 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 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.