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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $917 in Pasay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,255 in Pasay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,592 in Pasay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 38% more than Pasay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pasay are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Pasay 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.44 ₱278

161.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$19.04 ₱1,194

147.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.84 ₱178

318.31%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.23 ₱140

78.48%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.63 ₱39.26

126.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.31 ₱19.24

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.21 ₱76.1

163.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.58 ₱99.0

329.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.72 ₱108

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.17 ₱73.2

88.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.01 ₱63.6

69.31%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.96 ₱123

39.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.15 ₱323

86.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.29 ₱269

110.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.26 ₱456

76.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.29 ₱143

26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.54 ₱96.7

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.35 ₱147

-8.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.17 ₱73.3

93.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.37 ₱149

-16.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$3.33 ₱209

-40.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.25 ₱78.3

-1.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.89 ₱55.6

34.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.97 ₱186

53.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.73 ₱485

34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.97 ₱61.0

67.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.82 ₱114

58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.19 ₱11.64

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.76 ₱47.52

609.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.21 ₱13.12

1676.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.96 ₱123

194.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.18 ₱74.2

30.51%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

6.54%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$18.6K ₱1.2M

40.12%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$139 ₱8,713

-34.22%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$14.20 ₱890

77.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$25.46 ₱1,597

22.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$47.18 ₱2,959

42.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.20 ₱326

-6.54%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$73.4 ₱4,603

204.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,546 ₱159.7K

66.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$36.19 ₱2,270

30.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$19.34 ₱1,213

129.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$70.1 ₱4,397

14.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$64.3 ₱4,033

44.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$432 ₱27.1K

146.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$315 ₱19.7K

23.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$821 ₱51.5K

161.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$361 ₱22.6K

252.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,840 ₱115.4K

117.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$571 ₱35.8K

1037.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$511 ₱32.0K

48.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

63.57%

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 Pasay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $432 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 48% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Pasay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $189 – 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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $917 in Pasay – roughly 38% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,375 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $19.00 in Pasay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 $917, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $917 in Pasay to $1,266 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.