Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro, Philippines and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro: $707 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro
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San Pedro Living Index
57

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

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San Pedro

🇵🇭 Philippines

$707

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Pedro 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 San Pedro and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $707 per month in San Pedro vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Pedro $707
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in San Pedro vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Pedro $1,074
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,442 per month in San Pedro vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Pedro $1,442
Playa del Carmen $2,962

San Pedro is about 41% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Pedro and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – San Pedro 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ₱242

$10.67 MX$199

-64.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,059

$43.80 MX$815

-61.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.79 ₱177

$11.79 MX$219

-76.34%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₱112

$3.79 MX$70.5

-53.56%

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

$0.55 ₱34.86

$1.30 MX$24.14

-57.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.70

$0.83 MX$15.51

-62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$3.15 MX$58.6

-67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₱100

$4.93 MX$91.8

-68.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱104

$1.41 MX$26.22

15.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.4

$2.20 MX$40.86

-50.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.4

$1.47 MX$27.40

-31.29%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱125

$2.50 MX$46.47

-21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.83 ₱307

$7.29 MX$136

-33.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ₱217

$7.95 MX$148

-57.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱431

$12.86 MX$239

-47.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₱142

$2.90 MX$53.9

-22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₱99.9

$1.38 MX$25.74

13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.49 MX$46.36

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.2

$2.03 MX$37.78

-47.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 ₱104

$2.02 MX$37.69

-19.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.90 MX$35.42

-6.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ₱59.6

$1.14 MX$21.30

-17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.49

$1.24 MX$23.06

-58.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ₱185

$4.27 MX$79.5

-32.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 ₱553

$9.81 MX$183

-11.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.8

$1.59 MX$29.51

-42.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱126

$2.75 MX$51.1

-28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.29

$0.51 MX$9.58

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 ₱784

$27.39 MX$510

-54.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱46.09

$4.76 MX$88.6

-84.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.73

$3.25 MX$60.5

-93.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$5.39 MX$100

-65.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱75.3

$1.53 MX$28.44

-22.88%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

-1.22%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

-18.44%

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

$121 ₱7,665

$83.5 MX$1,554

44.40%

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

$15.83 ₱1,006

$23.19 MX$431

-31.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.27 ₱1,479

$27.61 MX$514

-15.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 ₱2,003

$56.4 MX$1,050

-44.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 ₱324

$28.19 MX$525

-81.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 ₱329

$5.00 MX$93.1

3.40%

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

$130 ₱8,269

$207 MX$3,854

-37.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,736 ₱555.4K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

67.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.24 ₱1,796

$43.45 MX$809

-35.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.23 ₱1,222

$42.54 MX$792

-54.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₱4,551

$72.8 MX$1,354

-1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 ₱3,536

$88.4 MX$1,645

-37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₱16.0K

$995 MX$18.5K

-74.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$382 MX$7,116

-55.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₱30.8K

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-71.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-67.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,591 ₱164.8K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-33.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 ₱69.2K

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-82.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 ₱7,951

$832 MX$15.5K

-84.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.45

-41.05%

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

Last update for San Pedro: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro

$170 24.1%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 51.3% $87

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro

$170 24%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 126% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro

$160 22.6%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 15.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro

$79 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 41.5% $33

Eating Out

San Pedro

$72 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 179% $129

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro

$42 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 58.8% $25

Getting Around

San Pedro

$15 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 236% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in San Pedro versus $995 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.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in San Pedro versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $257 – making San Pedro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Pedro

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

14:18 2:18 PM

13 h behind San Pedro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,001

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Pedro Playa del Carmen 15,060 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

San Pedro
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

San Pedro vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,060 per month in San Pedro and $1,804 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 San Pedro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $252 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $707 in San Pedro and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes San Pedro about 41% cheaper.

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

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro, where all-in costs run around $707, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In San Pedro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with San Pedro. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.