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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $836 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,267 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,699 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 5% lower, Pangasinan 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.31 ₱79.3

806.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$15.15 ₱920

183.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.15 ₱191

238.10%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.94 ₱57.2

267.02%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.42 ₱25.75

257.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.26 ₱15.59

265.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.39 ₱84.6

117.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.08 ₱127

121.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.26 ₱76.7

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.87 ₱53.0

112.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.81 ₱49.17

98.77%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.24 ₱136

15.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.23 ₱500

0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.43 ₱269

88.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.98 ₱484

33.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$4.57 ₱278

-42.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.00 ₱122

-25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.69 ₱163

-28.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.25 ₱137

-7.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$3.28 ₱199

-43.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.86 ₱174

-20.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.08 ₱65.7

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.00 ₱60.9

9.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.86 ₱174

45.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.21 ₱498

26.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.24 ₱75.3

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.24 ₱136

16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.26 ₱15.67

107.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.81 ₱49.24

286.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.14 ₱8.36

1692.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.45 ₱210

-8.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.15 ₱69.8

10.43%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.5K ₱2.0M

-9.31%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$21.8K ₱1.3M

8.35%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$173 ₱10.5K

-52.06%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$27.38 ₱1,663

-17.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$35.46 ₱2,153

-16.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$34.45 ₱2,092

48.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$4.33 ₱263

323.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.22 ₱499

-40.02%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$151 ₱9,173

30.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,392 ₱266.7K

20.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$58.4 ₱3,545

-36.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$35.92 ₱2,181

11.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$85.5 ₱5,190

-6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$52.8 ₱3,204

69.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$263 ₱16.0K

263.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$177 ₱10.8K

168.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$590 ₱35.8K

179.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$400 ₱24.3K

206.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,469 ₱149.9K

58.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$965 ₱58.6K

569.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $263 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: $250 vs $220 – 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,253 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 13% 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 $836, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.