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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $924 in Pasay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,317 in Pasay, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,711 in Pasay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 36% more than Pasay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pasay are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Pasay 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.89 ₱299

139.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$21.56 ₱1,320

94.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.17 ₱194

231.55%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.14 ₱131

67.76%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.57 ₱34.90

164.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.38 ₱22.96

142.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.03 ₱63.2

187.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.53 ₱93.7

188.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.91 ₱117

-26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.26 ₱77.2

49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.95 ₱58.0

64.21%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.96 ₱120

33.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$4.82 ₱295

72.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.24 ₱259

96.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$5.58 ₱342

94.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$4.33 ₱265

-37.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.57 ₱96.2

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.50 ₱153

-25.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.64 ₱101

33.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.81 ₱172

-33.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$4.22 ₱258

-47.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.40 ₱85.5

-23.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.99 ₱60.7

10.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.12 ₱191

34.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.84 ₱480

33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.02 ₱62.2

62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.20 ₱73.5

117.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.20 ₱12.24

170.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.68 ₱41.43

352.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.27 ₱16.68

788.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.08 ₱128

50.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.10 ₱67.5

19.09%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$12.3K ₱750.2K

143.21%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$15.8K ₱968.5K

47.40%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$112 ₱6,858

-27.45%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$32.89 ₱2,013

-31.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$29.71 ₱1,819

1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$35.53 ₱2,175

48.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.21 ₱380

-20.77%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$81.7 ₱5,002

145.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,835 ₱173.6K

82.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$32.18 ₱1,970

11.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$17.51 ₱1,072

129.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$85.2 ₱5,217

-6.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$70.8 ₱4,331

22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$402 ₱24.6K

143.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$306 ₱18.7K

53.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,446 ₱88.5K

14.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$403 ₱24.6K

198.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,908 ₱116.8K

107.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$579 ₱35.4K

1041.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$524 ₱32.1K

29.02%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Pasay: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $402 in Pasay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Pasay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $203 – making Pasay 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 Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $924 in Pasay – roughly 36% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,386 in Pasay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasay, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $22.00 in Pasay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pasay, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Pasay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $924 in Pasay to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Pasay. 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.