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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $787 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,188 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,589 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 69% more than Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pangasinan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Pangasinan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$1.20 ₱74.3

985.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$13.95 ₱860

231.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$3.98 ₱245

216.33%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.60 ₱160

53.85%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.10 ₱67.7

29.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.48 ₱29.51

68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$0.78 ₱47.84

291.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$3.29 ₱203

107.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.17 ₱72.3

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.79 ₱48.59

181.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$0.75 ₱46.36

129.33%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.32 ₱143

16.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$7.13 ₱440

31.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$5.12 ₱315

73.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$7.16 ₱441

78.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.33 ₱144

34.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.04 ₱126

-24.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.50 ₱154

-14.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.05 ₱126

14.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$3.06 ₱189

-33.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$3.48 ₱214

-42.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.06 ₱65.5

16.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.56 ₱34.41

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.68 ₱165

73.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$7.88 ₱486

32.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.41 ₱86.8

12.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.08 ₱128

40.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.24 ₱14.80

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$11.43 ₱705

160.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.68 ₱41.67

682.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.22 ₱13.52

1590.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$2.00 ₱123

189.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.04 ₱63.9

49.04%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$22.0K ₱1.4M

1.88%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

25.38%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$153 ₱9,405

-41.48%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$16.49 ₱1,017

41.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$30.01 ₱1,850

5.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$37.02 ₱2,282

85.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$3.84 ₱237

665.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.21 ₱445

-29.82%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$133 ₱8,176

67.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$7,560 ₱466.1K

-43.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$29.20 ₱1,800

58.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$20.02 ₱1,234

121.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$81.7 ₱5,034

16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$57.6 ₱3,549

60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$246 ₱15.2K

334.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$170 ₱10.5K

131.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$513 ₱31.6K

287.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$408 ₱25.2K

219.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,168 ₱133.7K

86.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,049 ₱64.7K

531.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

7.5

54.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $246 in Pangasinan. 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $14.00 in Pangasinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $199 – making Pangasinan 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 Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 69%, 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 $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,180 in Pangasinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $787 in Pangasinan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 160% less in Pangasinan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pangasinan, where all-in costs run around $787, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Pangasinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Pangasinan. 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.