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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $801 in Palawan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,231 in Palawan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,661 in Palawan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% more than Palawan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Palawan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Palawan 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.52 ₱221

229.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$19.32 ₱1,214

143.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.25 ₱204

265.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.65 ₱167

50.19%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.78 ₱49.27

83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.39 ₱24.72

110.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.24 ₱78.1

157.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.16 ₱136

214.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.92 ₱121

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.27 ₱79.7

73.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.03 ₱64.6

66.02%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.05 ₱129

33.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.85 ₱493

22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.28 ₱269

110.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.93 ₱498

61.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.98 ₱187

-3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.55 ₱97.6

-3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.68 ₱169

-19.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.62 ₱102

39.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.30 ₱144

-13.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.60 ₱164

-23.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.07 ₱67.1

14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.71 ₱44.74

69.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.81 ₱177

61.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.87 ₱432

50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.17 ₱73.3

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.98 ₱124

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.28 ₱17.61

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$11.56 ₱726

149.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.79 ₱49.57

582.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.22 ₱13.81

1595.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$2.08 ₱131

177.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.09 ₱68.7

41.28%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

-13.58%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

25.14%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$113 ₱7,088

-19.00%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$32.31 ₱2,030

-22.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$27.98 ₱1,758

11.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$33.76 ₱2,121

99.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.36 ₱274

567.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.80 ₱364

-16.21%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$151 ₱9,501

47.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$4,399 ₱276.4K

-3.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$45.96 ₱2,887

2.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$26.55 ₱1,668

66.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$76.7 ₱4,821

4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$53.8 ₱3,380

72.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$265 ₱16.6K

301.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$173 ₱10.9K

125.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$584 ₱36.7K

267.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$393 ₱24.7K

223.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,364 ₱148.5K

69.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,003 ₱63.0K

548.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Palawan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $265 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Palawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $204 – 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 58%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,202 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.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $151 in Palawan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% 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 $801, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.