Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $641 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $641

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $978 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $978

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,315 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,315

Playa del Carmen costs about 88% more than Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Subic Bay Freeport Zone are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$4.60 ₱293

137.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$14.04 ₱895

208.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.13 ₱327

129.63%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.21 ₱141

72.40%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.68 ₱43.06

88.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.33 ₱21.33

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.39 ₱88.6

128.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.01 ₱128

145.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.58 ₱100

-10.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.09 ₱69.6

103.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$0.85 ₱54.2

67.06%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$1.93 ₱123

30.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$4.86 ₱310

49.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$3.99 ₱255

92.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$7.56 ₱481

67.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.13 ₱136

30.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.73 ₱110

-20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$2.54 ₱162

0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.15 ₱73.3

84.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$2.21 ₱141

-12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$2.08 ₱133

-9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.92 ₱58.7

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.61 ₱38.59

93.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$2.84 ₱181

51.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$7.35 ₱468

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$0.92 ₱58.8

71.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.83 ₱117

45.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.18 ₱11.78

205.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$12.86 ₱819

107.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$0.80 ₱51.3

521.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.21 ₱13.38

1485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$1.85 ₱118

189.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.03 ₱65.9

39.81%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

8.02%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$20.0K ₱1.3M

17.55%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$135 ₱8,582

-37.05%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$14.33 ₱913

63.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$16.57 ₱1,056

72.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$30.08 ₱1,917

89.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$5.28 ₱337

447.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$5.23 ₱333

-1.72%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$127 ₱8,082

62.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$7,688 ₱489.9K

-48.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$29.05 ₱1,851

49.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$20.80 ₱1,325

99.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$63.5 ₱4,047

16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$46.93 ₱2,991

90.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$124 ₱7,900

690.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$77.0 ₱4,908

394.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$323 ₱20.6K

428.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$186 ₱11.9K

477.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$2,434 ₱155.1K

61.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,143 ₱72.8K

438.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.92

65.46%

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$77 12% 79.8% $304

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$177 27.6% 30.6% $78

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$94 14.6% 53.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$166 25.8% 21% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$72 11.3% 35.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$41 6.3% 39.8% $27

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$15 2.4% 69.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 $14 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $177 – making Subic Bay Freeport Zone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

21:50 9:50 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

221,178

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Subic Bay Freeport Zone 15,070 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 88%, 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 $962 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $124 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. That makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone about 47% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, where all-in costs run around $641, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Subic Bay Freeport Zone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Subic Bay Freeport Zone is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.