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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $992 in Taguig City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,567 in Taguig City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,143 in Taguig City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% 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 4% lower, Taguig City 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$4.39 ₱269

171.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$26.28 ₱1,608

62.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$3.53 ₱216

200.00%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.62 ₱160

38.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.80 ₱49.23

83.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.48 ₱29.44

95.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.44 ₱88.1

114.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.71 ₱166

64.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.92 ₱117

-25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.39 ₱85.1

35.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.08 ₱66.1

50.93%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.06 ₱126

28.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$9.20 ₱563

-10.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.22 ₱319

58.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.47 ₱518

31.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.75 ₱168

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.87 ₱115

-19.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$3.08 ₱188

-35.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.16 ₱70.7

79.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.82 ₱112

-1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$3.18 ₱195

-31.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.81 ₱111

-40.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.73 ₱44.48

42.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.38 ₱207

17.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.13 ₱558

11.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.40 ₱85.8

23.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.32 ₱142

7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.22 ₱13.37

136.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.93 ₱57.0

237.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.24 ₱14.73

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$2.19 ₱134

41.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.12 ₱68.7

13.39%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

18.47%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

12.26%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$126 ₱7,739

-35.16%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$33.15 ₱2,028

-32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$26.52 ₱1,622

11.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$42.75 ₱2,616

21.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.94 ₱425

-28.39%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$152 ₱9,270

30.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$11.6K ₱709.8K

-54.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$47.11 ₱2,882

-22.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$34.37 ₱2,103

16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$67.7 ₱4,144

17.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$46.47 ₱2,843

91.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$580 ₱35.5K

66.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$314 ₱19.2K

48.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$1,956 ₱119.7K

-18.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$801 ₱49.0K

50.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$4,180 ₱255.7K

-5.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,407 ₱86.1K

358.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$452 ₱27.7K

59.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.17

85.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Taguig City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $580 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 59% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.00 in Taguig City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $226 – 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 30%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,488 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $992 in Taguig City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $152 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 $992, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.