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 $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $803 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,195 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,587 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 51% more than Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pangasinan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Pangasinan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$197

$1.18 ₱73.8

829.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$806

$13.38 ₱839

235.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$214

$4.04 ₱253

195.05%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$68.4

$2.55 ₱160

49.02%

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

$1.31 MX$23.57

$1.07 ₱67.0

22.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.39

$0.55 ₱34.22

56.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$57.7

$0.82 ₱51.1

291.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$90.1

$3.13 ₱196

60.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.20

$1.10 ₱68.9

32.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$41.81

$0.84 ₱52.6

177.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.92

$0.74 ₱46.71

94.59%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.23

$2.40 ₱150

2.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$138

$7.30 ₱458

5.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$142

$4.87 ₱305

62.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$230

$6.92 ₱434

84.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$52.4

$2.45 ₱153

19.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.55

$2.02 ₱127

-29.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.10

$3.26 ₱204

-21.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.41

$2.40 ₱151

-10.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.99

$3.57 ₱224

-45.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$34.79

$3.45 ₱217

-43.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.68

$1.11 ₱69.9

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$21.94

$0.55 ₱34.21

121.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$78.6

$2.60 ₱163

68.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$177

$7.82 ₱491

25.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.63

$1.33 ₱83.6

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$48.80

$2.03 ₱127

33.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.43

$0.25 ₱15.64

108.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$493

$11.07 ₱694

147.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$88.3

$0.62 ₱38.63

691.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$63.3

$0.21 ₱13.11

1576.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$102

$1.90 ₱119

199.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$27.67

$0.92 ₱57.8

67.39%

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

$21.2K MX$381.7K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-1.51%

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

$24.5K MX$440.0K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

26.17%

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

$83.6 MX$1,502

$154 ₱9,672

-45.78%

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

$24.03 MX$432

$16.37 ₱1,027

46.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$527

$31.09 ₱1,950

-5.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,166

$33.00 ₱2,069

96.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$529

$4.72 ₱296

524.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$91.4

$7.31 ₱458

-30.37%

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

$208 MX$3,732

$134 ₱8,377

55.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$72.7K

$7,372 ₱462.4K

-45.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$801

$34.00 ₱2,132

31.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$756

$19.48 ₱1,222

115.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,357

$82.5 ₱5,172

-8.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,642

$55.6 ₱3,488

64.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.7K

$271 ₱17.0K

264.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,921

$183 ₱11.5K

110.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$30.8K

$520 ₱32.6K

229.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$19.9K

$357 ₱22.4K

210.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$72.2K

$2,486 ₱155.9K

61.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$112.3K

$1,000 ₱62.7K

524.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.5

52.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $13.00 in Pangasinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $203 – 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 51%, 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 $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,204 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $803 in Pangasinan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 148% 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 $803, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. 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.