Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Siargao

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $783 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
Learn more

Siargao Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Siargao

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 Siargao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $783 in Siargao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Siargao $783

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,222 in Siargao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Siargao $1,222

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,660 in Siargao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Siargao $1,660

Playa del Carmen costs about 54% more than Siargao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Siargao are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Siargao 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.66 ₱233

198.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$19.68 ₱1,253

120.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$3.32 ₱211

254.82%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.50 ₱160

52.40%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.83 ₱52.7

54.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.40 ₱25.27

95.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.29 ₱81.9

145.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.16 ₱137

128.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.92 ₱122

-26.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.26 ₱80.2

76.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$0.93 ₱59.5

52.69%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.05 ₱131

22.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$8.11 ₱517

-10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$4.26 ₱272

80.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$7.51 ₱478

68.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.90 ₱185

-4.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.52 ₱97.1

-9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.59 ₱165

-1.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.57 ₱99.8

35.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$2.19 ₱140

-11.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.59 ₱165

-27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.08 ₱68.6

6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.72 ₱45.97

63.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.80 ₱179

53.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.94 ₱442

43.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.16 ₱73.6

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.03 ₱129

31.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.26 ₱16.42

111.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$11.37 ₱724

134.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.78 ₱49.61

537.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.24 ₱15.37

1287.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$2.09 ₱133

156.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.14 ₱72.5

26.32%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$26.6K ₱1.7M

-22.42%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$20.3K ₱1.3M

15.61%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$112 ₱7,124

-24.19%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$32.27 ₱2,056

-27.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$27.58 ₱1,757

3.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$33.95 ₱2,162

68.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$4.50 ₱287

542.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$5.98 ₱381

-14.05%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$151 ₱9,619

36.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$4,239 ₱270.0K

-7.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$45.52 ₱2,899

-4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$26.51 ₱1,689

56.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$76.5 ₱4,869

-2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$54.2 ₱3,450

64.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$263 ₱16.8K

271.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$173 ₱11.0K

119.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$580 ₱37.0K

194.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$387 ₱24.6K

178.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$2,322 ₱147.9K

69.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,123 ₱71.5K

448.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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 Siargao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Siargao

$173 22.1% 54.5% $208

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Siargao

$202 25.8% 20.6% $53

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Siargao

$85 10.8% 58% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Siargao

$172 21.9% 25.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Siargao

$91 11.6% 18.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Siargao

$46 5.9% 31.8% $21

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Siargao

$14 1.8% 71.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $263 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $20 in Siargao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $202 – making Siargao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Siargao

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

17:06 5:06 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

150,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.08 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Siargao 15,050 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Siargao

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 Siargao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 54%, 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 $1,175 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $263 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $783 in Siargao. That makes Siargao about 35% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Siargao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Siargao, where all-in costs run around $783, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. 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.

For expats, Siargao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.