Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surigao and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $736 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
Learn more

Surigao Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$736

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $736 per month in Surigao vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surigao $736
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,124 per month in Surigao vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surigao $1,124
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,512 per month in Surigao vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surigao $1,512
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Surigao is about 39% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Surigao and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Surigao 45% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 ₱251

$10.76 MX$199

-63.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ₱1,122

$43.03 MX$795

-58.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.87 ₱181

$11.79 MX$218

-75.66%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ₱125

$3.87 MX$71.4

-48.58%

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

$0.73 ₱45.85

$1.37 MX$25.29

-46.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱19.84

$0.84 MX$15.44

-61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱79.4

$3.10 MX$57.3

-59.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₱134

$5.07 MX$93.6

-57.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.44 MX$26.55

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₱61.6

$2.23 MX$41.23

-56.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$1.47 MX$27.17

-32.65%

Eggs

$1.94 ₱122

$2.53 MX$46.71

-23.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.75 ₱362

$7.30 MX$135

-21.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 ₱261

$7.86 MX$145

-47.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 ₱433

$12.79 MX$236

-46.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₱131

$2.90 MX$53.6

-28.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱99.2

$1.44 MX$26.53

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 ₱161

$2.55 MX$47.07

0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱73.6

$2.06 MX$38.03

-43.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$2.00 MX$36.97

-2.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$2.01 MX$37.07

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$1.19 MX$22.02

-31.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱37.75

$1.26 MX$23.23

-52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$4.40 MX$81.4

-32.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 ₱427

$9.59 MX$177

-29.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₱66.3

$1.59 MX$29.41

-33.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

$2.81 MX$51.9

-38.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.48

$0.57 MX$10.47

-54.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.30 ₱712

$27.82 MX$514

-59.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.51

$4.98 MX$92.1

-86.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.66

$3.50 MX$64.6

-93.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$5.40 MX$99.8

-65.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.0

$1.47 MX$27.08

-10.20%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-10.88%

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

$18.0K ₱1.1M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-24.79%

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

$124 ₱7,799

$84.2 MX$1,556

47.10%

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

$15.97 ₱1,006

$23.99 MX$443

-33.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.80 ₱2,191

$29.02 MX$536

19.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.92 ₱2,262

$63.0 MX$1,164

-42.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₱326

$29.14 MX$539

-82.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ₱313

$4.94 MX$91.3

0.40%

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

$144 ₱9,095

$204 MX$3,763

-29.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,892 ₱433.9K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

74.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.99 ₱2,329

$43.60 MX$806

-15.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.93 ₱1,318

$43.12 MX$797

-51.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ₱4,384

$75.8 MX$1,400

-8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.50 ₱3,116

$88.6 MX$1,637

-44.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 ₱15.3K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-75.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.6K

$374 MX$6,911

-55.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₱29.0K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-73.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ₱22.9K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-67.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₱153.3K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-38.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,108 ₱69.8K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-82.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.45

-40.70%

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

Last update for Surigao: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surigao

$175 23.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 21.4% $37

Groceries & Markets

Surigao

$174 23.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 48.3% $84

Accommodation & Living

Surigao

$168 22.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 122% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Surigao

$80 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 41.8% $33

Eating Out

Surigao

$79 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 156% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Surigao

$46 6.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 58.9% $27

Getting Around

Surigao

$14 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 271% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $243 in Surigao versus $1,008 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 $18.00 in Surigao versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $258 – making Surigao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Surigao

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:17 1:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

13 h behind Surigao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

171,107

149,923

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Surigao
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

Surigao vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $1,104 per month in Surigao and $1,816 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 Surigao, 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 $736 in Surigao and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 64%.

Public transport costs about 146% less in Surigao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Surigao, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. 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.

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 Surigao. 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.