Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikpapan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $669 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index
58

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

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Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $669 in Balikpapan versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Balikpapan $669
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,057 in Balikpapan versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Balikpapan $1,057
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,444 in Balikpapan versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Balikpapan $1,444
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Balikpapan costs roughly 44% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Balikpapan 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$10.92 MX$203

-87.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.88 Rp 197.7K

$43.37 MX$805

-74.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

$11.78 MX$219

-74.36%

Cappuccino

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

$3.81 MX$70.7

-64.83%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,320

$1.28 MX$23.81

-72.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,034

$0.78 MX$14.54

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 Rp 40.8K

$3.17 MX$58.8

-29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

$4.93 MX$91.7

-28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

$1.41 MX$26.12

-19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$2.22 MX$41.17

-52.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.3K

$1.42 MX$26.32

-17.61%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$2.52 MX$46.85

-3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 Rp 129.7K

$7.26 MX$135

-1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

$7.70 MX$143

-61.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 Rp 156.8K

$12.69 MX$236

-31.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

$2.78 MX$51.7

-21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

$1.37 MX$25.41

-4.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

$2.55 MX$47.37

-39.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$2.12 MX$39.43

-43.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.94 MX$36.00

-38.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 35.5K

$1.89 MX$35.02

3.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.15 MX$21.29

-26.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

$1.18 MX$21.89

-38.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$4.30 MX$79.8

-58.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.12 Rp 383.5K

$9.95 MX$185

112.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

$1.58 MX$29.41

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

$2.67 MX$49.60

11.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,151

$0.55 MX$10.28

-58.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.50 Rp 208.8K

$26.62 MX$494

-56.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

$4.97 MX$92.3

-77.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,189

$3.33 MX$61.9

-91.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

$5.36 MX$99.5

-47.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

$1.44 MX$26.82

-47.92%

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

$23.2K Rp 420.9M

$20.7K MX$383.8K

12.14%

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

$31.4K Rp 570.2M

$23.5K MX$435.8K

33.80%

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

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

$84.8 MX$1,575

-24.38%

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

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

$23.41 MX$435

-82.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.48 Rp 535.4K

$28.66 MX$532

2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.84 Rp 432.9K

$57.1 MX$1,059

-58.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.27 Rp 150.3K

$28.91 MX$537

-71.39%

Cinema Ticket

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

$5.14 MX$95.4

-45.14%

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

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

$207 MX$3,836

-55.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,145 Rp 166.1M

$3,927 MX$72.9K

132.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.81 Rp 686.7K

$43.35 MX$805

-12.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.66 Rp 338.9K

$41.44 MX$770

-54.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 Rp 2.5M

$74.2 MX$1,378

88.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

$89.3 MX$1,657

-20.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 Rp 3.6M

$980 MX$18.2K

-79.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 Rp 2.6M

$381 MX$7,072

-62.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 Rp 10.2M

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-67.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 Rp 6.6M

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-66.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

$3,943 MX$73.2K

-66.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$777 Rp 14.1M

$6,158 MX$114.4K

-87.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$238 Rp 4.3M

$735 MX$13.6K

-67.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

11.45

-17.38%

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

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Balikpapan

$206 30.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 23.7% $49

Accommodation & Living

Balikpapan

$143 21.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 166% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Balikpapan

$120 18%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 7.1% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikpapan

$98 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 39.9% $39

Eating Out

Balikpapan

$58 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 252% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Balikpapan

$29 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 128% $38

Getting Around

Balikpapan

$15 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 238% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $197 in Balikpapan and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $11 in Balikpapan vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $255 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

00:49 12:49 AM

13 h behind Balikpapan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,066

149,923

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,355 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balikpapan Playa del Carmen 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Balikpapan
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $669 in Balikpapan and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Balikpapan is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Balikpapan. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $197 in Balikpapan versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Balikpapan runs roughly 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $92 in Balikpapan versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $669 in Balikpapan versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.