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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $828 in Panglao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,237 in Panglao, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,646 in Panglao, rent included.

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

Both Playa del Carmen and Panglao are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Panglao 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$4.32 ₱266

177.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$12.52 ₱771

233.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$4.30 ₱265

150.00%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$2.55 ₱157

37.25%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.79 ₱48.50

83.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.26 ₱15.94

238.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$1.49 ₱92.0

97.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$1.87 ₱115

141.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$1.68 ₱104

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$1.08 ₱66.5

70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.04 ₱63.8

50.96%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$1.92 ₱118

30.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$9.18 ₱565

-9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.09 ₱313

65.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.80 ₱480

36.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$2.16 ₱133

20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$1.48 ₱91.1

-2.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$2.09 ₱129

-6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$1.90 ₱117

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$2.55 ₱157

-27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$2.44 ₱150

-11.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.92 ₱56.8

11.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.47 ₱28.96

127.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$2.69 ₱166

52.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$6.02 ₱371

68.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$0.93 ₱57.6

80.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$1.76 ₱108

43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.28 ₱17.37

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$0.88 ₱54.0

267.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$0.23 ₱14.06

947.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$2.61 ₱161

23.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.03 ₱63.2

28.16%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$30.4K ₱1.9M

-2.16%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$27.4K ₱1.7M

-13.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$96.1 ₱5,915

-14.64%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$8.94 ₱550

156.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$26.42 ₱1,627

13.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$14.74 ₱907

252.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$4.34 ₱267

326.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$4.32 ₱266

15.28%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$230 ₱14.2K

-14.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$3,960 ₱243.8K

34.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$45.65 ₱2,811

-22.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$23.41 ₱1,442

72.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$76.6 ₱4,715

2.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$52.9 ₱3,256

68.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$321 ₱19.8K

194.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$279 ₱17.2K

69.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$699 ₱43.0K

135.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$500 ₱30.8K

141.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$991 ₱61.0K

309.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$854 ₱52.6K

657.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Panglao: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 in Panglao. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $13.00 in Panglao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $195 – making Panglao 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 Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Panglao, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,242 in Panglao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panglao, 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $828 in Panglao. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $230 in Panglao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Panglao, where all-in costs run around $828, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Panglao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panglao costs $828 versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Panglao. 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.