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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $648 in Pampanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,107 in Pampanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,565 in Pampanga.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Pampanga 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.01 ₱184

289.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$17.48 ₱1,070

139.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.17 ₱194

231.55%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.72 ₱166

31.99%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.43 ₱26.05

251.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.35 ₱21.70

162.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.15 ₱70.5

157.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.35 ₱144

87.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.43 ₱87.8

-2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.14 ₱69.5

64.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.84 ₱51.5

85.71%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.44 ₱88.4

81.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.30 ₱263

93.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.98 ₱183

180.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.43 ₱455

46.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.10 ₱129

29.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.04 ₱63.6

45.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.23 ₱137

-16.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.01 ₱61.6

116.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.64 ₱100

13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.80 ₱110

23.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.91 ₱55.9

17.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.66 ₱40.63

65.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.08 ₱127

101.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.02 ₱369

73.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.74 ₱45.56

124.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.40 ₱85.5

86.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.27 ₱16.40

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$11.60 ₱710

125.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.83 ₱50.5

271.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.27 ₱16.49

788.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.15 ₱132

45.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.16 ₱71.0

12.93%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$17.6K ₱1.1M

69.31%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$17.6K ₱1.1M

32.44%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$130 ₱7,962

-37.51%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$27.07 ₱1,657

-16.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$26.10 ₱1,597

15.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$51.0 ₱3,122

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$4.40 ₱269

317.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.49 ₱275

9.58%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$124 ₱7,581

62.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,749 ₱107.1K

195.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$28.98 ₱1,774

23.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$26.22 ₱1,605

53.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$59.9 ₱3,664

33.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$41.28 ₱2,527

109.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$149 ₱9,115

556.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$97.9 ₱5,992

380.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$592 ₱36.3K

178.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$427 ₱26.1K

181.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,444 ₱149.6K

61.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$964 ₱59.0K

585.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$298 ₱18.2K

127.26%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pampanga: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $149 in Pampanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 127% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Pampanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 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.

Average pay runs 127% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $149 in Pampanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $124 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 $648 in Pampanga versus $1,260 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 $648 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.