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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $776 in Pagadian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,092 in Pagadian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,408 in Pagadian.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 62% more expensive than in Pagadian, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Pagadian 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.49 ₱215

243.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$17.85 ₱1,099

134.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$3.22 ₱198

233.85%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$2.90 ₱178

20.69%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.96 ₱58.8

51.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.46 ₱28.18

91.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.08 ₱66.5

173.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$1.73 ₱107

160.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.72 ₱106

-16.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.07 ₱66.0

71.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.03 ₱63.3

52.43%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.05 ₱126

22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.19 ₱504

1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$4.87 ₱300

73.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$5.85 ₱360

82.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$3.46 ₱213

-24.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.12 ₱68.9

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$3.36 ₱207

-41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.38 ₱85.1

51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.65 ₱163

-30.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$3.41 ₱210

-36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.10 ₱67.9

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.75 ₱46.39

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.60 ₱160

57.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.31 ₱511

22.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.04 ₱64.3

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$1.47 ₱90.4

72.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.28 ₱17.29

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$7.15 ₱440

264.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$0.77 ₱47.55

319.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.22 ₱13.53

995.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.10 ₱129

53.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.25 ₱76.9

5.60%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$26.7K ₱1.6M

11.14%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

14.78%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$93.9 ₱5,784

-12.70%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$32.31 ₱1,989

-28.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$26.98 ₱1,661

11.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$33.52 ₱2,064

55.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$4.31 ₱265

329.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$5.79 ₱356

-13.99%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$154 ₱9,480

28.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$4,303 ₱264.9K

24.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$46.08 ₱2,837

-22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$26.28 ₱1,618

53.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$74.2 ₱4,569

6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$52.2 ₱3,213

70.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$112 ₱6,883

747.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$176 ₱10.8K

168.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$245 ₱15.1K

570.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$153 ₱9,426

690.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,755 ₱169.6K

47.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$908 ₱55.9K

612.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $112 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $776 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,165 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $112 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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $776 in Pagadian – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Pagadian versus $1,256 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 62% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.