Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taytay and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Taytay: $721 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Taytay, Philippines
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Taytay
🇵🇭 Philippines
$721
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $721 per month in Taytay vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Taytay $721
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,105 per month in Taytay vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Taytay $1,105
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,489 per month in Taytay vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Taytay $1,489
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

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

Both Taytay and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Taytay 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.75 ₱302
$10.67 MX$199
-55.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.63 ₱1,184
$43.80 MX$815
-57.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.10 ₱197
$11.79 MX$219
-73.71%
Cappuccino
$2.43 ₱155
$3.79 MX$70.5
-35.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 ₱48.00
$1.30 MX$24.14
-42.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱30.96
$0.83 MX$15.51
-40.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.16 ₱73.7
$3.15 MX$58.6
-63.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 ₱96.9
$4.93 MX$91.8
-69.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 ₱105
$1.41 MX$26.22
17.02%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 ₱72.7
$2.20 MX$40.86
-48.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.94 ₱60.1
$1.47 MX$27.40
-36.05%
Eggs
$1.99 ₱126
$2.50 MX$46.47
-20.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.79 ₱305
$7.29 MX$136
-34.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.28 ₱208
$7.95 MX$148
-58.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.93 ₱440
$12.86 MX$239
-46.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.17 ₱138
$2.90 MX$53.9
-25.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 ₱95.5
$1.38 MX$25.74
8.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ₱146
$2.49 MX$46.36
-7.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.01 ₱64.1
$2.03 MX$37.78
-50.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 ₱105
$2.02 MX$37.69
-18.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 ₱107
$1.90 MX$35.42
-11.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.95 ₱60.4
$1.14 MX$21.30
-16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₱30.39
$1.24 MX$23.06
-61.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.93 ₱186
$4.27 MX$79.5
-31.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.37 ₱532
$9.81 MX$183
-14.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ₱60.4
$1.59 MX$29.51
-40.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 ₱125
$2.75 MX$51.1
-28.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 ₱15.35
$0.51 MX$9.58
-52.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.52 ₱796
$27.39 MX$510
-54.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 ₱47.85
$4.76 MX$88.6
-84.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 ₱12.73
$3.25 MX$60.5
-93.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 ₱122
$5.39 MX$100
-64.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 ₱78.6
$1.53 MX$28.44
-18.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.6K ₱1.3M
$21.2K MX$394.8K
-2.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K ₱1.2M
$23.3K MX$432.9K
-20.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 ₱7,677
$83.5 MX$1,554
44.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.88 ₱1,010
$23.19 MX$431
-31.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.05 ₱1,466
$27.61 MX$514
-16.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.04 ₱1,974
$56.4 MX$1,050
-44.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.26 ₱334
$28.19 MX$525
-81.34%
Cinema Ticket
$5.16 ₱328
$5.00 MX$93.1
3.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$132 ₱8,417
$207 MX$3,854
-36.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,678 ₱551.8K
$5,231 MX$97.4K
65.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.80 ₱1,831
$43.45 MX$809
-33.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.45 ₱1,237
$42.54 MX$792
-54.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.2 ₱4,460
$72.8 MX$1,354
-3.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.3 ₱3,449
$88.4 MX$1,645
-38.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$248 ₱15.8K
$995 MX$18.5K
-75.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$168 ₱10.7K
$382 MX$7,116
-55.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$487 ₱31.0K
$1,674 MX$31.2K
-70.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$355 ₱22.6K
$1,081 MX$20.1K
-67.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,637 ₱167.7K
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-32.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,100 ₱69.9K
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-82.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taytay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.5K
-
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 Taytay: October 31, 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
Taytay
$169
Playa del Carmen
$257 52.7% $89
Accommodation & Living
Taytay
$168
Playa del Carmen
$382 127% $214
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taytay
$160
Playa del Carmen
$134 15.9% $25
Eating Out
Taytay
$90
Playa del Carmen
$200 122% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Taytay
$78
Playa del Carmen
$111 43.1% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Taytay
$41
Playa del Carmen
$66 60.6% $25
Getting Around
Taytay
$15
Playa del Carmen
$50 231% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Taytay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Taytay versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $257 – making Taytay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Taytay
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
00:21 12:21 AM
11:21 11:21 AM
13 h behind Taytay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
386,451
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Taytay Playa del Carmen 15,030 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Taytay
  • 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
Taytay vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taytay cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, 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 $1,082 per month in Taytay and $1,804 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 Taytay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Taytay and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $721 in Taytay and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Taytay about 40% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 54% less in Taytay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Taytay or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Taytay, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Taytay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Taytay or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Taytay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Taytay is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Taytay vs other spots: cost of living compared

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