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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $994 in Taguig City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,531 in Taguig City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,068 in Taguig City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 27% more than Taguig City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Taguig City are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Taguig City 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.89 ₱244

198.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$27.23 ₱1,711

73.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.11 ₱195

281.99%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.51 ₱158

58.57%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.76 ₱47.79

88.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.43 ₱27.22

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.21 ₱75.9

163.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.43 ₱153

179.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.89 ₱118

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.46 ₱91.9

50.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.86 ₱53.9

98.84%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.86 ₱117

47.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.19 ₱326

84.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.72 ₱297

90.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.77 ₱488

64.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.24 ₱141

29.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.91 ₱120

-21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.82 ₱177

-23.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.02 ₱64.0

121.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.72 ₱108

15.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.67 ₱168

-25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.56 ₱98.3

-21.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.56 ₱35.04

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$3.00 ₱188

51.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.58 ₱539

20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.24 ₱77.7

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.03 ₱127

41.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.22 ₱13.84

172.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.76 ₱47.62

609.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.23 ₱14.36

1521.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$1.97 ₱124

192.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.19 ₱74.5

29.41%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

4.45%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

32.95%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$112 ₱7,039

-18.44%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$14.79 ₱929

70.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$23.63 ₱1,485

32.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$39.74 ₱2,497

69.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$6.93 ₱435

-29.87%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$135 ₱8,468

65.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$8,949 ₱562.2K

-52.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$40.67 ₱2,555

15.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$27.71 ₱1,741

59.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$67.3 ₱4,225

19.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$56.9 ₱3,576

62.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$509 ₱32.0K

108.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$443 ₱27.8K

-11.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$2,536 ₱159.3K

-15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$839 ₱52.7K

51.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$3,981 ₱250.1K

0.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,368 ₱86.0K

375.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$473 ₱29.7K

60.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.83

67.64%

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 Taguig City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $509 in Taguig City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Taguig City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $197 – making Taguig 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 Taguig City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 27%, 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 $1,490 in Taguig City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taguig 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 $994 in Taguig City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $135 in Taguig City. 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 Taguig City, where all-in costs run around $994, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Taguig 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 Taguig 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 Taguig 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.