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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,125 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,156 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $9,187 in Philipsburg.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 59% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Philipsburg is 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$15.29 ANG 27.30

-24.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$70.4 ANG 126

-33.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.31 ANG 14.82

42.96%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.23 ANG 7.55

-5.91%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.82 ANG 5.03

-49.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$3.94 ANG 7.03

-79.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.96 ANG 5.28

7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$6.42 ANG 11.47

5.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-42.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.64 ANG 4.70

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.51 ANG 4.48

-31.87%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$6.49 ANG 11.59

-57.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$18.68 ANG 33.34

-48.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$14.20 ANG 25.34

-36.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.91 ANG 26.62

-14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.09 ANG 9.09

-43.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$5.07 ANG 9.04

-70.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$8.83 ANG 15.77

-75.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$7.65 ANG 13.66

-70.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$3.90 ANG 6.96

-49.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$4.11 ANG 7.33

-51.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$5.13 ANG 9.15

-76.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.29 ANG 2.31

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$7.76 ANG 13.86

-41.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.90 ANG 19.45

-4.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$5.15 ANG 9.19

-68.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$2.29 ANG 4.09

-73.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$1.53 ANG 2.74

1782.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$14.82 ANG 26.45

-63.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$149 ANG 265

-38.46%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$32.43 ANG 57.9

-22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$65.6 ANG 117

-52.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$62.0 ANG 111

8.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.88 ANG 19.42

-55.33%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$250 ANG 447

-10.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

-64.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$2,158 ANG 3,852

-50.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$1,998 ANG 3,566

-80.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$6,575 ANG 11.7K

-67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$6,605 ANG 11.8K

-80.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,128 ANG 2,014

-32.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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 Philipsburg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 49% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $70.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $496 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 147% 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 49% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $70.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,125 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 $1,266 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 147% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.