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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $822 in Panglao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,139 in Panglao, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,456 in Panglao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 54% more than Panglao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Panglao are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Panglao 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.10 ₱194

274.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$23.19 ₱1,454

103.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.00 ₱251

197.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.16 ₱136

84.26%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$0.61 ₱38.14

134.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.48 ₱30.41

70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.61 ₱101

98.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.92 ₱121

253.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.61 ₱101

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$1.10 ₱69.2

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$0.98 ₱61.5

74.49%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$1.76 ₱111

55.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.55 ₱536

12.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.38 ₱275

105.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.66 ₱481

67.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$1.89 ₱118

52.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$1.44 ₱90.1

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.86 ₱117

15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.52 ₱95.4

48.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$2.36 ₱148

-16.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$1.88 ₱118

5.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$1.18 ₱74.0

4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$0.49 ₱30.85

144.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$2.80 ₱175

62.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.75 ₱361

80.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.80 ₱50.1

102.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$1.63 ₱102

76.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.24 ₱15.04

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$9.55 ₱599

201.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.79 ₱49.30

582.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.22 ₱13.80

1595.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$1.94 ₱121

197.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$0.90 ₱56.2

71.11%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

5.50%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

35.66%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$59.8 ₱3,749

52.86%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$6.83 ₱428

268.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$24.22 ₱1,519

28.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$21.00 ₱1,317

220.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$4.69 ₱294

520.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.88 ₱243

25.26%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$130 ₱8,159

71.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$8,008 ₱502.1K

-47.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$32.21 ₱2,020

46.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$19.23 ₱1,206

130.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$68.6 ₱4,299

16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$56.3 ₱3,528

64.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$279 ₱17.5K

280.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$347 ₱21.8K

12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$564 ₱35.4K

280.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$398 ₱25.0K

219.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$971 ₱60.9K

312.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$844 ₱52.9K

670.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.2

59.03%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Panglao: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $279 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Panglao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $182 – 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 54% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,232 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.

Groceries cost about 52% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 in Panglao. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Panglao, where all-in costs run around $822, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $822 versus $1,266 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.