Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Galera and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Galera: $827 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Galera
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Puerto Galera Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Puerto Galera

🇵🇭 Philippines

$827

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Galera and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto Galera and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $827 per month in Puerto Galera vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Puerto Galera $827
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,247 per month in Puerto Galera vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Puerto Galera $1,247
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,668 per month in Puerto Galera vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Puerto Galera $1,668
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Puerto Galera is about 31% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Puerto Galera and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Galera 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ₱281

$10.92 MX$204

-59.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.41 ₱1,176

$43.37 MX$808

-57.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.69 ₱172

$11.78 MX$220

-77.16%

Cappuccino

$2.69 ₱172

$3.81 MX$71.0

-29.40%

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

$0.69 ₱44.02

$1.28 MX$23.90

-46.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.93

$0.78 MX$14.59

-64.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 ₱92.2

$3.17 MX$59.0

-54.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₱178

$4.93 MX$92.0

-43.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.41 MX$26.22

17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.0

$2.22 MX$41.33

-48.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.7

$1.42 MX$26.42

-37.32%

Eggs

$1.70 ₱109

$2.52 MX$47.03

-32.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 ₱437

$7.26 MX$135

-5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 ₱259

$7.70 MX$143

-47.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.86 ₱439

$12.69 MX$237

-45.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 ₱251

$2.78 MX$51.9

41.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱89.0

$1.37 MX$25.50

1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 ₱226

$2.55 MX$47.55

38.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₱73.5

$2.12 MX$39.58

-45.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.94 MX$36.13

18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 ₱207

$1.89 MX$35.16

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ₱88.9

$1.15 MX$21.37

20.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱61.0

$1.18 MX$21.98

-19.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱179

$4.30 MX$80.1

-34.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱474

$9.95 MX$185

-25.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱84.9

$1.58 MX$29.52

-15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.67 MX$49.79

-35.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.43

$0.55 MX$10.31

-58.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.69 ₱875

$26.62 MX$496

-48.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$4.97 MX$92.6

-83.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$3.33 MX$62.1

-93.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 ₱156

$5.36 MX$99.8

-54.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱76.8

$1.44 MX$26.92

-16.67%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

0.29%

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

$18.6K ₱1.2M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-20.67%

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

$164 ₱10.5K

$84.8 MX$1,581

93.88%

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

$14.04 ₱897

$23.41 MX$436

-40.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.63 ₱1,510

$28.66 MX$534

-17.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.96 ₱2,298

$57.1 MX$1,063

-36.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.19 ₱332

$28.91 MX$539

-82.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 ₱458

$5.14 MX$95.8

39.49%

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

$71.8 ₱4,584

$207 MX$3,851

-65.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,498 ₱159.6K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

-36.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.70 ₱2,217

$43.35 MX$808

-19.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.04 ₱1,408

$41.44 MX$772

-46.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₱4,971

$74.2 MX$1,383

4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ₱4,701

$89.3 MX$1,664

-17.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₱16.3K

$980 MX$18.3K

-73.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$381 MX$7,099

-55.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₱30.8K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-71.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.6K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-67.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,553 ₱163.1K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-35.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,027 ₱65.6K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-83.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-38.86%

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

Last update for Puerto Galera: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Galera

$203 24.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 25.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Galera

$202 24.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 32.3% $65

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Galera

$170 20.5%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 125% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Galera

$94 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 19.3% $18

Eating Out

Puerto Galera

$92 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 120% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Galera

$50 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 33.8% $17

Getting Around

Puerto Galera

$16 2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 207% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $255 in Puerto Galera versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $18 in Puerto Galera versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $255 – making Puerto Galera the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Puerto Galera

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

15:39 3:39 PM

13 h behind Puerto Galera

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,606

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puerto Galera Playa del Carmen 15,140 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Galera
Playa del Carmen

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

Puerto Galera vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,241 per month in Puerto Galera and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Galera, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $255 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $827 in Puerto Galera and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Puerto Galera about 31% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Puerto Galera. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Galera, where all-in costs run around $827, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Puerto Galera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Puerto Galera is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 31% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.