Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagum City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $437 per month in Tagum City vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tagum City $437
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $541 per month in Tagum City vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tagum City $541
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $645 per month in Tagum City vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tagum City $645
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Tagum City is about 64% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tagum City and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tagum City 68% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ₱346

$10.76 MX$199

-48.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.68 ₱799

$43.03 MX$795

-70.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ₱318

$11.79 MX$218

-57.17%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$3.87 MX$71.4

-40.83%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₱117

$3.10 MX$57.3

-39.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₱90.9

$5.07 MX$93.6

-71.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.44 MX$26.55

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$2.53 MX$46.71

-25.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 ₱507

$12.79 MX$236

-36.98%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$2.90 MX$53.6

121.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₱86.0

$1.59 MX$29.41

-13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.57 MX$10.47

-56.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.47 MX$27.08

-6.80%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

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

$55.7 ₱3,506

$84.2 MX$1,556

-33.87%

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

$8.09 ₱510

$23.99 MX$443

-66.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₱1,729

$29.02 MX$536

-5.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.71 ₱1,493

$63.0 MX$1,164

-62.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 ₱206

$4.94 MX$91.3

-33.60%

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₱9,992

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-84.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ₱8,124

$374 MX$6,911

-65.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₱20.3K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-81.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ₱12.8K

$754 MX$13.9K

-73.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Tagum City: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Tagum City

$129 29.5%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 190% $245

Eating Out

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 105% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagum City

$91 20.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 50.4% $46

Groceries & Markets

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 198% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Tagum City

$30 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 141% $43

Getting Around

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 5156% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Tagum City

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $159 in Tagum City 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.

Salaries run about 272% 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 $13.00 in Tagum City versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $87.0 vs $258 – making Tagum City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

05:08 5:08 AM

13 h behind Tagum City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,202

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 18, 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 18, 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

Tagum City Playa del Carmen 15,250 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Tagum 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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 177%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $656 per month in Tagum City 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 Tagum City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 198% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Tagum City and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tagum City, where all-in costs run around $437, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Tagum 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 Tagum 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 Tagum 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.