Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sorsogon City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sorsogon City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $710 in Sorsogon City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,104 in Sorsogon City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,498 in Sorsogon City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 78% more than Sorsogon City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sorsogon City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Sorsogon City 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.63 ₱228

219.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$18.04 ₱1,133

161.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.75 ₱173

332.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.23 ₱140

78.48%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.57 ₱35.95

150.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.31 ₱19.44

164.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.07 ₱67.2

198.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.95 ₱122

248.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.66 ₱104

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.98 ₱61.6

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.97 ₱60.6

76.29%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.92 ₱121

42.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.88 ₱369

62.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.06 ₱255

121.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.91 ₱434

85.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.58 ₱162

12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.36 ₱85.2

10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.37 ₱149

-9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.32 ₱82.6

71.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.85 ₱116

7.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.87 ₱117

6.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.67 ₱42.20

83.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.52 ₱32.66

130.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$3.27 ₱205

39.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.88 ₱495

31.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.95 ₱59.9

70.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.98 ₱124

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.29 ₱18.52

106.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$9.87 ₱620

191.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.87 ₱54.5

519.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.22 ₱13.64

1595.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.72 ₱108

235.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.96 ₱60.4

60.42%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

4.24%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$18.3K ₱1.2M

42.00%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$126 ₱7,942

-27.72%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$15.07 ₱947

67.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$24.19 ₱1,520

29.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$29.03 ₱1,824

131.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$5.25 ₱330

454.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.79 ₱363

-16.06%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$147 ₱9,210

52.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$8,456 ₱531.3K

-49.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$27.68 ₱1,739

70.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$22.07 ₱1,387

100.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$71.0 ₱4,458

12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$51.9 ₱3,260

78.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$283 ₱17.8K

275.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$169 ₱10.6K

130.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$492 ₱30.9K

336.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$377 ₱23.7K

237.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,469 ₱155.1K

62.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,177 ₱73.9K

452.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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 Sorsogon City: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 in Sorsogon City. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Sorsogon City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $176 – making Sorsogon City 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 Sorsogon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 78%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,065 in Sorsogon City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sorsogon City, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $710 in Sorsogon City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 192% less in Sorsogon City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sorsogon City, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Sorsogon City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sorsogon City. 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.