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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $698 in Olongapo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,040 in Olongapo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,381 in Olongapo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 86% more expensive than Olongapo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Olongapo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.49 ₱215

236.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$13.38 ₱825

211.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$2.61 ₱161

307.66%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.46 ₱151

43.09%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.69 ₱42.27

118.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.40 ₱24.77

142.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.44 ₱88.9

104.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.64 ₱101

171.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.91 ₱118

-27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.42 ₱26.07

350.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.85 ₱52.2

92.94%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.19 ₱135

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.15 ₱564

-8.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.77 ₱171

201.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.71 ₱537

23.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.75 ₱170

-5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.03 ₱63.8

41.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.35 ₱145

-19.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.20 ₱74.1

73.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.89 ₱116

-5.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.19 ₱135

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.69 ₱42.36

50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.42 ₱25.82

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.22 ₱199

26.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.65 ₱534

19.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.02 ₱63.1

67.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.33 ₱143

10.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.20 ₱12.31

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$17.94 ₱1,106

47.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.86 ₱53.0

279.07%

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

$2.35 ₱145

38.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.11 ₱68.8

18.02%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$31.5K ₱1.9M

-3.91%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

13.61%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$146 ₱9,025

-43.38%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$35.09 ₱2,164

-36.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$26.68 ₱1,645

9.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$15.26 ₱941

238.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$5.19 ₱320

252.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.36 ₱269

16.28%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$87.7 ₱5,409

128.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,814 ₱296.9K

8.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$49.21 ₱3,034

-24.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$27.28 ₱1,682

45.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$76.6 ₱4,722

2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$46.15 ₱2,846

88.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$124 ₱7,668

682.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$90.0 ₱5,547

419.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$261 ₱16.1K

529.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$181 ₱11.1K

575.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$320 ₱19.7K

1932.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$136 ₱8,363

389.54%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Olongapo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $124 in Olongapo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 390% 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 $183 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 86% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 390% 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 $124 in Olongapo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $87.7 in Olongapo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $698 in Olongapo versus $1,297 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 $698 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 86% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.