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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $778 in Palawan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,198 in Palawan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,617 in Palawan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 66% more than Palawan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Palawan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Palawan 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$3.52 ₱212

233.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$19.48 ₱1,173

114.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$3.29 ₱198

216.41%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.63 ₱159

37.26%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.81 ₱48.82

80.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.36 ₱21.83

169.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.26 ₱75.7

131.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.18 ₱131

111.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.89 ₱114

-24.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.20 ₱72.5

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.02 ₱61.4

53.92%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.00 ₱121

32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.08 ₱487

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$4.15 ₱250

106.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.91 ₱476

39.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.87 ₱173

-5.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.51 ₱91.2

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.66 ₱160

-28.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.61 ₱97.3

34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.21 ₱133

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.55 ₱154

-12.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.08 ₱64.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.77 ₱46.09

38.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.86 ₱172

45.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$6.69 ₱403

53.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.21 ₱73.1

38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.96 ₱118

29.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.28 ₱16.96

96.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.84 ₱50.5

280.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.22 ₱13.20

1018.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.09 ₱126

53.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.13 ₱68.1

16.81%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$26.6K ₱1.6M

13.15%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

12.60%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$111 ₱6,691

-26.78%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$32.52 ₱1,958

-31.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$27.29 ₱1,643

9.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$34.17 ₱2,058

50.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$4.45 ₱268

313.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.78 ₱348

-10.73%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$152 ₱9,137

32.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$4,295 ₱258.7K

23.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$46.52 ₱2,802

-23.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$26.48 ₱1,595

52.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$76.3 ₱4,594

3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$53.0 ₱3,190

63.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$262 ₱15.8K

263.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$179 ₱10.8K

167.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$584 ₱35.2K

177.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$389 ₱23.4K

214.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,314 ₱139.3K

73.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$969 ₱58.4K

567.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

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 15, 2026

Last update for Palawan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Palawan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Palawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $202 – making Palawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 66%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,168 in Palawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palawan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $19.00 in Palawan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palawan, where all-in costs run around $778, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. In Palawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palawan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Palawan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.