Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Talisay City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Talisay City: $728 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Talisay City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$728
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $728 per month in Talisay City vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Talisay City $728
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,105 per month in Talisay City vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Talisay City $1,105
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,482 per month in Talisay City vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Talisay City $1,482
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Talisay City is about 40% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Talisay City and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Talisay City 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.02 ₱253
$10.86 MX$201
-62.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.50 ₱1,039
$44.21 MX$817
-62.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.88 ₱181
$11.76 MX$217
-75.51%
Cappuccino
$2.19 ₱138
$3.68 MX$68.0
-40.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 ₱41.66
$1.34 MX$24.79
-50.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₱19.28
$0.82 MX$15.24
-62.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.13 ₱71.1
$3.06 MX$56.6
-63.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 ₱122
$4.94 MX$91.2
-60.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 ₱101
$1.47 MX$27.17
8.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.15 ₱72.4
$2.22 MX$40.95
-48.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.96 ₱60.3
$1.48 MX$27.32
-35.14%
Eggs
$1.86 ₱117
$2.49 MX$45.99
-25.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.43 ₱342
$7.52 MX$139
-27.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.08 ₱257
$7.96 MX$147
-48.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.30 ₱460
$12.57 MX$232
-41.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.37 ₱149
$2.78 MX$51.3
-14.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 ₱96.3
$1.43 MX$26.37
6.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.43 ₱153
$2.62 MX$48.37
-7.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.13 ₱71.4
$2.14 MX$39.49
-47.20%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 ₱127
$2.02 MX$37.38
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 ₱122
$1.99 MX$36.74
-2.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 ₱62.7
$1.14 MX$21.01
-12.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₱35.94
$1.20 MX$22.18
-52.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.98 ₱188
$4.26 MX$78.7
-30.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.42 ₱467
$10.02 MX$185
-25.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ₱59.7
$1.54 MX$28.41
-38.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 ₱118
$2.66 MX$49.17
-29.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.47
$0.53 MX$9.73
-50.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.29 ₱711
$27.51 MX$508
-58.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.78 ₱49.09
$4.90 MX$90.6
-84.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.19
$3.43 MX$63.5
-93.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.88 ₱119
$5.38 MX$99.4
-65.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 ₱77.1
$1.45 MX$26.76
-15.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$21.2K MX$391.0K
0.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K ₱1.2M
$23.0K MX$425.3K
-17.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 ₱7,810
$85.4 MX$1,577
45.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.94 ₱940
$23.46 MX$434
-36.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.50 ₱1,542
$28.43 MX$525
-13.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.17 ₱2,025
$62.2 MX$1,149
-48.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.54 ₱286
$28.68 MX$530
-84.17%
Cinema Ticket
$5.05 ₱318
$5.10 MX$94.3
-0.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$132 ₱8,279
$201 MX$3,715
-34.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,858 ₱494.7K
$3,947 MX$72.9K
99.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.49 ₱2,046
$44.39 MX$820
-26.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.38 ₱1,220
$41.35 MX$764
-53.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.2 ₱4,481
$72.7 MX$1,344
-2.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.7 ₱3,443
$89.6 MX$1,656
-38.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$270 ₱17.0K
$979 MX$18.1K
-72.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$170 ₱10.7K
$373 MX$6,887
-54.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$522 ₱32.9K
$1,681 MX$31.1K
-68.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$348 ₱21.9K
$1,095 MX$20.2K
-68.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,427 ₱152.8K
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-38.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$988 ₱62.2K
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-83.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Talisay City
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$329 ₱20.7K
$738 MX$13.6K
-55.44%
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 Talisay City: October 17, 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
Talisay City
$178
Playa del Carmen
$258 45.3% $81
Accommodation & Living
Talisay City
$170
Playa del Carmen
$373 120% $203
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Talisay City
$163
Playa del Carmen
$137 16.1% $26
Eating Out
Talisay City
$80
Playa del Carmen
$200 149% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Talisay City
$80
Playa del Carmen
$112 39.6% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Talisay City
$42
Playa del Carmen
$72 71.3% $30
Getting Around
Talisay City
$14
Playa del Carmen
$52 265% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $270 in Talisay 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 124% 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 Talisay City versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $258 – making Talisay City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Talisay City
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
20:34 8:34 PM
07:34 7:34 AM
13 h behind Talisay City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
133,148
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Talisay City Playa del Carmen 15,200 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Talisay 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
Talisay City vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Talisay City?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,092 per month in Talisay City and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Talisay City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Talisay City and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $728 in Talisay City and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 65%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 144% less in Talisay City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Talisay City or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Talisay City, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Talisay City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Talisay City or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Talisay City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Talisay 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.

Talisay City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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