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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $845 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,252 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,658 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pangasinan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Pangasinan 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$1.35 ₱82.6

784.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$14.91 ₱912

186.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$3.03 ₱185

249.50%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$0.94 ₱57.4

285.11%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.46 ₱28.16

219.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.26 ₱15.88

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.36 ₱82.9

127.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.16 ₱132

106.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.21 ₱74.0

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.93 ₱56.8

102.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.83 ₱50.6

96.39%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.27 ₱139

16.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$7.92 ₱485

3.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.38 ₱268

89.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$7.74 ₱474

43.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$4.46 ₱273

-40.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.00 ₱122

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.59 ₱158

-23.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.28 ₱140

-8.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$3.39 ₱207

-47.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$2.84 ₱174

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.13 ₱69.0

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.00 ₱61.5

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.96 ₱181

34.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.04 ₱492

26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.25 ₱76.5

38.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.30 ₱141

8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.28 ₱17.29

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.77 ₱46.99

307.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.13 ₱7.67

1746.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$3.50 ₱214

-11.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.11 ₱67.8

14.41%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$33.3K ₱2.0M

-7.35%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$22.1K ₱1.4M

5.65%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$173 ₱10.6K

-52.55%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$26.91 ₱1,646

-16.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$35.75 ₱2,187

-17.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$33.68 ₱2,060

54.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$4.50 ₱276

314.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$8.01 ₱490

-37.95%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$153 ₱9,370

29.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$4,366 ₱267.1K

20.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$60.6 ₱3,710

-40.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$35.42 ₱2,167

13.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$84.7 ₱5,183

-5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$53.4 ₱3,265

66.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$271 ₱16.6K

255.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$180 ₱11.0K

158.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$588 ₱36.0K

171.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$400 ₱24.5K

201.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,066 ₱126.4K

90.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Pangasinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $218 – 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 52%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,268 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $15.00 in Pangasinan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 Pangasinan, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.