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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $774 in Siargao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,210 in Siargao, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,646 in Siargao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 64% more than Siargao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Siargao are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Siargao 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.63 ₱221

227.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$19.23 ₱1,168

123.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.27 ₱199

225.69%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.53 ₱154

36.36%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.82 ₱49.87

82.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.40 ₱24.16

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.25 ₱75.9

142.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.15 ₱131

114.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.90 ₱116

-27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.21 ₱73.5

52.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.02 ₱61.7

57.84%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.07 ₱125

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.95 ₱482

3.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.33 ₱263

93.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.81 ₱474

36.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.98 ₱181

-11.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.50 ₱91.3

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.63 ₱160

-27.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.55 ₱93.9

34.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.32 ₱141

-19.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.53 ₱154

-10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.06 ₱64.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.72 ₱43.48

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.90 ₱176

43.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.76 ₱410

53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.17 ₱70.9

47.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.02 ₱123

29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.28 ₱17.03

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.83 ₱50.6

277.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.24 ₱14.64

945.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.16 ₱131

45.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.09 ₱66.2

16.51%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

13.15%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.5K ₱1.2M

15.12%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$111 ₱6,727

-25.08%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$33.34 ₱2,024

-31.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$27.38 ₱1,663

7.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$33.81 ₱2,053

50.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$4.39 ₱267

317.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.05 ₱367

-18.51%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$149 ₱9,059

32.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,241 ₱257.5K

24.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$46.07 ₱2,797

-19.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$27.11 ₱1,646

47.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$76.6 ₱4,651

4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$53.3 ₱3,234

67.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$262 ₱15.9K

265.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$179 ₱10.9K

166.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$599 ₱36.4K

174.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$389 ₱23.6K

215.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,329 ₱141.4K

68.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$948 ₱57.5K

581.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Siargao: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Siargao. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Siargao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $203 – making Siargao 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 Siargao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 64%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,162 in Siargao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siargao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $774 in Siargao. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $149 in Siargao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Siargao, where all-in costs run around $774, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Siargao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Siargao. 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.