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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $663 in Pampanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,114 in Pampanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,566 in Pampanga.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 94% more expensive than Pampanga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Pampanga 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.15 ₱194

279.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$17.78 ₱1,097

140.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.14 ₱193

237.26%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.71 ₱167

33.58%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.43 ₱26.30

241.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.38 ₱23.64

147.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.19 ₱73.6

159.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.34 ₱144

90.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.44 ₱88.9

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.14 ₱70.2

64.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.85 ₱52.3

91.76%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.45 ₱89.5

82.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$4.34 ₱268

89.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.94 ₱181

181.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.10 ₱438

56.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.16 ₱134

22.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.09 ₱67.2

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.31 ₱143

-13.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.92 ₱56.9

126.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.69 ₱105

5.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.79 ₱110

21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.96 ₱59.2

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.61 ₱37.56

70.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.18 ₱135

82.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.24 ₱385

63.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.78 ₱48.39

121.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.39 ₱86.0

79.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.29 ₱17.92

79.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$11.52 ₱711

134.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.77 ₱47.20

307.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.29 ₱18.00

727.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.07 ₱128

49.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.16 ₱71.5

9.48%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$17.8K ₱1.1M

73.98%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$17.9K ₱1.1M

30.57%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$129 ₱7,980

-36.61%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$26.24 ₱1,618

-14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$26.33 ₱1,624

12.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$50.6 ₱3,121

2.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$4.36 ₱269

328.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.34 ₱268

14.52%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$126 ₱7,800

56.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,792 ₱110.5K

194.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$29.11 ₱1,796

24.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$26.13 ₱1,612

53.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$60.4 ₱3,726

32.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$42.61 ₱2,628

108.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$153 ₱9,407

531.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$95.8 ₱5,910

385.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$595 ₱36.7K

168.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$414 ₱25.5K

192.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,387 ₱147.2K

65.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,321 ₱81.5K

388.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$299 ₱18.5K

140.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.17

85.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Pampanga: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $153 in Pampanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 141% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Pampanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $154 per month, with Pampanga 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 Pampanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pampanga wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pampanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 141% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $153 in Pampanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 in Pampanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $663 in Pampanga versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pampanga but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pampanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pampanga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pampanga hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Pampanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.