Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pagadian

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $731 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Pagadian

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Pagadian actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Pagadian.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Pagadian $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,112 in Pagadian.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Pagadian $1,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,494 in Pagadian.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Pagadian $1,494

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than in Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Pagadian 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$3.97 ₱250

173.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$16.95 ₱1,067

160.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$2.75 ₱173

327.64%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.91 ₱120

92.67%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.80 ₱50.6

67.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.25 ₱15.76

228.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.46 ₱92.2

109.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.99 ₱125

148.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.69 ₱106

-13.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.16 ₱73.1

91.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.96 ₱60.8

54.17%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.87 ₱118

33.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$5.47 ₱344

37.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.27 ₱269

86.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$7.29 ₱459

72.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.35 ₱148

18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.53 ₱96.4

-6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.41 ₱151

8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.13 ₱71.3

89.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.01 ₱127

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.93 ₱121

3.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.92 ₱58.1

23.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.55 ₱34.43

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$2.87 ₱181

48.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.48 ₱471

33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.01 ₱63.8

52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.94 ₱122

37.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.26 ₱16.37

103.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$11.25 ₱708

144.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.78 ₱48.85

528.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.21 ₱13.17

1533.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$1.88 ₱118

186.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.03 ₱64.9

40.78%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

-0.61%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

21.33%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$125 ₱7,875

-31.76%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$15.14 ₱953

54.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$24.15 ₱1,521

17.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$32.36 ₱2,037

92.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$4.70 ₱296

510.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$5.07 ₱319

0.59%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$130 ₱8,191

54.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$7,984 ₱502.7K

-50.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$32.64 ₱2,055

36.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$19.82 ₱1,248

108.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$72.4 ₱4,556

0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$55.1 ₱3,470

62.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$266 ₱16.7K

268.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$171 ₱10.7K

118.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$516 ₱32.5K

225.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$354 ₱22.3K

209.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,381 ₱149.9K

65.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$997 ₱62.8K

515.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.79

68.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Pagadian

$171 23.3% 54.3% $202

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Pagadian

$180 24.6% 30.5% $79

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Pagadian

$78 10.7% 60.8% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Pagadian

$164 22.5% 19.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Pagadian

$81 11.1% 27.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Pagadian

$43 5.8% 41.3% $30

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Pagadian

$14 1.9% 72.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $266 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $180 per month, with Pagadian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

19:40 7:40 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

199,060

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Pagadian 15,420 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Pagadian

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 65% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $731 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $1,096 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: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $266 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 $17.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Pagadian – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $731 in Pagadian versus $1,204 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 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.