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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $760 in Pagadian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,074 in Pagadian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,389 in Pagadian.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 71% more expensive than Pagadian, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Pagadian 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.57 ₱220

228.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$18.01 ₱1,110

131.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.20 ₱197

232.50%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.90 ₱179

21.38%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.93 ₱57.1

62.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.43 ₱26.38

125.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.08 ₱66.3

173.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.76 ₱108

152.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.71 ₱106

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.07 ₱66.1

76.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.97 ₱59.8

69.07%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.03 ₱125

23.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.25 ₱508

1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.98 ₱307

67.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$5.85 ₱361

83.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.64 ₱224

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.12 ₱69.3

30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$3.42 ₱211

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.34 ₱82.4

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.65 ₱164

-32.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$3.46 ₱213

-36.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.07 ₱66.1

-2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.70 ₱43.42

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.71 ₱167

50.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.91 ₱488

30.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.05 ₱64.6

62.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.54 ₱94.8

67.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.26 ₱16.03

96.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$7.18 ₱443

268.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.82 ₱50.9

297.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.24 ₱14.87

937.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.10 ₱129

54.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.19 ₱73.2

10.08%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$26.9K ₱1.7M

12.77%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$20.2K ₱1.2M

15.85%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$96.0 ₱5,919

-13.66%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$33.16 ₱2,045

-32.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$27.38 ₱1,688

7.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$33.61 ₱2,072

53.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$4.53 ₱279

304.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.95 ₱367

-14.79%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$149 ₱9,190

34.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,359 ₱268.8K

19.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$45.37 ₱2,798

-18.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$26.79 ₱1,652

48.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$74.5 ₱4,592

5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$53.1 ₱3,271

64.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$113 ₱6,956

762.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$177 ₱10.9K

164.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$248 ₱15.3K

560.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$150 ₱9,271

711.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,118 ₱130.6K

86.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$966 ₱59.6K

572.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Pagadian: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $113 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $204 per month, with Pagadian 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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Pagadian differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $760 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,140 in Pagadian to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $113 in Pagadian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pagadian – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $760 in Pagadian – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $760 in Pagadian versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pagadian but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pagadian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.