Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Galera

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Galera: $827 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Galera
Learn more

Puerto Galera Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Puerto Galera

🇵🇭 Philippines

$827

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Puerto Galera

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Puerto Galera actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $827 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Puerto Galera $827

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,247 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Puerto Galera $1,247

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,668 in Puerto Galera, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Puerto Galera $1,668

Playa del Carmen costs about 46% more than Puerto Galera, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Puerto Galera are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Puerto Galera 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$4.39 ₱281

148.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$18.41 ₱1,176

135.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$2.69 ₱172

337.92%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.69 ₱172

41.64%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.69 ₱44.02

85.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.28 ₱17.93

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.44 ₱92.2

120.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$2.79 ₱178

76.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.65 ₱105

-14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.14 ₱73.0

94.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$0.89 ₱56.7

59.55%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.70 ₱109

48.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.84 ₱437

6.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$4.05 ₱259

90.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$6.86 ₱439

84.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.92 ₱251

-29.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.39 ₱89.0

-1.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$3.54 ₱226

-27.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.15 ₱73.5

84.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.30 ₱147

-15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$3.24 ₱207

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.39 ₱88.9

-17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.95 ₱61.0

24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$2.80 ₱179

53.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$7.42 ₱474

34.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.33 ₱84.9

18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.73 ₱110

54.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.23 ₱14.43

139.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$13.69 ₱875

94.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.82 ₱52.2

506.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.21 ₱13.38

1485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$2.44 ₱156

119.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.20 ₱76.8

20.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-0.29%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$18.6K ₱1.2M

26.05%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$164 ₱10.5K

-48.42%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$14.04 ₱897

66.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$23.63 ₱1,510

21.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$35.96 ₱2,298

58.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$5.19 ₱332

457.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$7.17 ₱458

-28.31%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$71.8 ₱4,584

187.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$2,498 ₱159.6K

57.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$34.70 ₱2,217

24.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$22.04 ₱1,408

88.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$77.8 ₱4,971

-4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$73.6 ₱4,701

21.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$255 ₱16.3K

284.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$170 ₱10.8K

124.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$482 ₱30.8K

254.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$353 ₱22.6K

204.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$2,553 ₱163.1K

54.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,027 ₱65.6K

499.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Puerto Galera: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Puerto Galera

$170 20.5% 55.5% $211

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Puerto Galera

$203 24.5% 20.4% $52

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Puerto Galera

$92 11.2% 54.4% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Puerto Galera

$202 24.4% 47.6% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Puerto Galera

$94 11.3% 16.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Puerto Galera

$50 6.1% 25.3% $17

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Puerto Galera

$16 2% 67.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $255 in Puerto Galera. 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $18 in Puerto Galera. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $203 – making Puerto Galera the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Puerto Galera

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

07:08 7:08 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

36,606

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Puerto Galera 15,140 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Puerto Galera

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Puerto Galera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,241 in Puerto Galera. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Galera, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $255 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $827 in Puerto Galera. That makes Puerto Galera about 31% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Puerto Galera. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Galera, where all-in costs run around $827, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Puerto Galera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Galera – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Puerto Galera is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 31% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.