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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,160 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,809 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $8,458 in Philipsburg.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 60% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Philipsburg is 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$15.11 ANG 26.98

-22.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$76.0 ANG 136

-44.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$8.22 ANG 14.68

27.86%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$4.25 ANG 7.58

-15.53%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$2.93 ANG 5.22

-48.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$3.72 ANG 6.64

-75.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.97 ANG 5.30

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$4.97 ANG 8.88

-11.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-52.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$3.19 ANG 5.69

-41.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.94 ANG 5.26

-46.94%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$6.33 ANG 11.31

-58.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$18.26 ANG 32.59

-54.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$16.79 ANG 29.98

-50.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$19.40 ANG 34.62

-44.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$5.90 ANG 10.54

-54.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$6.12 ANG 10.92

-75.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$9.09 ANG 16.22

-79.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$6.45 ANG 11.52

-66.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$4.08 ANG 7.28

-54.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$3.92 ANG 7.00

-43.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$4.46 ANG 7.97

-76.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.96 ANG 3.49

-44.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$8.18 ANG 14.61

-48.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.85 ANG 19.37

-3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$3.36 ANG 6.00

-50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.81 ANG 5.01

-7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.52 ANG 2.71

-64.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$15.15 ANG 27.04

-79.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$4.86 ANG 8.67

-50.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.42 ANG 2.53

-7.75%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$229 ANG 410

-64.58%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$32.15 ANG 57.4

-29.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$71.3 ANG 127

-57.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$61.5 ANG 110

-14.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$13.24 ANG 23.63

-62.84%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$380 ANG 679

-47.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$11.2K ANG 19.9K

-53.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$1,931 ANG 3,447

-49.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$1,876 ANG 3,348

-74.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$5,653 ANG 10.1K

-70.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$5,752 ANG 10.3K

-79.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$1,115 ANG 1,991

-39.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.75

98.61%

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 Philipsburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $1,931 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 65% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $76.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $536 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 151% lower than in Philipsburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Philipsburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,931 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 113% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $3,160 in Philipsburg – a 151% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,160 in Philipsburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.