Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagbilaran City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagbilaran City: $620 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tagbilaran City
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Tagbilaran City Living Index
59

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

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Tagbilaran City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$620

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $620 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $620
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,005 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $1,005
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Tagbilaran City vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tagbilaran City $1,390
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Tagbilaran City is about 49% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tagbilaran City and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tagbilaran City 54% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ₱185

$10.86 MX$201

-73.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.16 ₱1,081

$44.21 MX$817

-61.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.91 ₱183

$11.76 MX$217

-75.26%

Cappuccino

$2.48 ₱156

$3.68 MX$68.0

-32.61%

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

$0.99 ₱62.6

$1.34 MX$24.79

-26.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱26.32

$0.82 MX$15.24

-48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ₱48.77

$3.06 MX$56.6

-74.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₱142

$4.94 MX$91.2

-54.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.47 MX$27.17

1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$2.22 MX$40.95

-54.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₱61.9

$1.48 MX$27.32

-33.78%

Eggs

$1.72 ₱108

$2.49 MX$45.99

-30.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 ₱610

$7.52 MX$139

28.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 ₱287

$7.96 MX$147

-42.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$12.57 MX$232

-38.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ₱183

$2.78 MX$51.3

4.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ₱82.3

$1.43 MX$26.37

-8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.62 MX$48.37

-9.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ₱95.8

$2.14 MX$39.49

-28.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.02 MX$37.38

14.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.99 MX$36.74

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₱43.81

$1.14 MX$21.01

-38.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.38

$1.20 MX$22.18

-58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₱149

$4.26 MX$78.7

-44.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 ₱399

$10.02 MX$185

-36.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$1.54 MX$28.41

-40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₱65.7

$2.66 MX$49.17

-60.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.42

$0.53 MX$9.73

-11.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.99

$4.90 MX$90.6

-83.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.87

$3.43 MX$63.5

-93.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ₱276

$5.38 MX$99.4

-18.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱65.1

$1.45 MX$26.76

-28.97%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

1.62%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-16.80%

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

$78.0 ₱4,911

$85.4 MX$1,577

-8.62%

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

$14.28 ₱899

$23.46 MX$434

-39.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.32 ₱1,594

$28.43 MX$525

-10.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.92 ₱687

$62.2 MX$1,149

-82.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.22 ₱203

$28.68 MX$530

-88.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.60 ₱227

$5.10 MX$94.3

-29.41%

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

$280 ₱17.6K

$201 MX$3,715

39.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,908 ₱497.9K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

100.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.94 ₱2,326

$44.39 MX$820

-16.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.89 ₱1,126

$41.35 MX$764

-56.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.0 ₱4,094

$72.7 MX$1,344

-10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.2 ₱3,665

$89.6 MX$1,656

-35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₱12.0K

$979 MX$18.1K

-80.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 ₱8,524

$373 MX$6,887

-63.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₱30.3K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-71.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.0K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-68.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$805 ₱50.7K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-79.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$476 ₱30.0K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-92.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$171 ₱10.8K

$738 MX$13.6K

-76.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.45

-37.12%

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

Last update for Tagbilaran City: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tagbilaran City

$189 30.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 36.6% $69

Accommodation & Living

Tagbilaran City

$135 21.8%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 175% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagbilaran City

$118 19%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 16.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Tagbilaran City

$80 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 39.3% $32

Eating Out

Tagbilaran City

$76 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 164% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Tagbilaran City

$18 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 300% $54

Getting Around

Tagbilaran City

$3.8 * 0.6%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 1275% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $190 in Tagbilaran City versus $979 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 run about 331% 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 $17.00 in Tagbilaran City versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $258 – making Tagbilaran City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagbilaran City

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

03:50 3:50 AM

13 h behind Tagbilaran City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,411

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 22, 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 22, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Tagbilaran City Playa del Carmen 15,240 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Tagbilaran City
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

Tagbilaran City vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $930 per month in Tagbilaran City 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 Tagbilaran 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 $620 in Tagbilaran City and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 94%.

Kindergarten costs $280 per month in Tagbilaran City and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tagbilaran City, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Tagbilaran 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 Tagbilaran 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 Tagbilaran 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.