Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Surigao

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $733 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
Learn more

Surigao Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $733 in Surigao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Surigao $733

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,113 in Surigao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Surigao $1,113

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,492 in Surigao, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Surigao $1,492

Playa del Carmen costs about 64% more than Surigao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surigao are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Surigao 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

$3.95 ₱251

170.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

$16.72 ₱1,062

161.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

$2.82 ₱179

318.09%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

$2.13 ₱135

77.93%

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

$0.67 ₱42.83

94.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$0.31 ₱19.60

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

$1.16 ₱73.5

171.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

$2.01 ₱128

145.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$1.60 ₱102

-11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

$1.14 ₱72.4

92.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

$0.97 ₱61.3

51.55%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

$1.85 ₱118

35.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$5.62 ₱357

29.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

$4.15 ₱264

91.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$6.87 ₱436

87.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

$2.42 ₱154

19.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

$1.58 ₱100

-12.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

$2.32 ₱147

7.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

$1.13 ₱71.7

79.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

$2.12 ₱135

-4.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

$2.26 ₱143

-15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

$1.09 ₱69.4

4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

$0.57 ₱36.48

117.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

$2.95 ₱187

44.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

$7.34 ₱466

33.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

$0.91 ₱57.6

74.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

$1.92 ₱122

43.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

$0.22 ₱13.94

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

$12.28 ₱780

123.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

$0.76 ₱48.05

526.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

$0.22 ₱13.99

1377.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$1.90 ₱120

183.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

$1.22 ₱77.6

25.41%

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-0.30%

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

20.81%

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

$120 ₱7,606

-30.31%

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

$23.19 MX$436

$15.80 ₱1,003

46.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

$34.90 ₱2,216

-20.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$31.82 ₱2,020

77.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

$5.07 ₱322

456.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$5.06 ₱321

-1.19%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$128 ₱8,117

61.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

$7,715 ₱489.8K

-32.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

$32.90 ₱2,089

32.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

$19.32 ₱1,227

120.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

$71.4 ₱4,535

1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

$53.7 ₱3,409

64.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$250 ₱15.9K

297.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

$168 ₱10.7K

127.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

$485 ₱30.8K

244.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$348 ₱22.1K

210.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

$2,651 ₱168.3K

47.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

$1,124 ₱71.3K

446.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Surigao: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Surigao

$168 22.9% 56.1% $215

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Surigao

$179 24.4% 30.6% $79

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Surigao

$79 10.8% 60.3% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Surigao

$171 23.3% 27% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Surigao

$80 10.9% 28.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Surigao

$42 5.7% 36.9% $25

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Surigao

$15 2.1% 70.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $250 in Surigao. 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $17 in Surigao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $179 – making Surigao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇵🇭 Surigao

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

17:36 5:36 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

171,107

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.49 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.17 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Surigao 15,100 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Surigao

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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,100 in Surigao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surigao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $733 in Surigao. That makes Surigao about 39% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Surigao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Surigao, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Surigao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Surigao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.