Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banda Aceh and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $319 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$319

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $319 per month in Banda Aceh vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Banda Aceh $319
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $510 per month in Banda Aceh vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Banda Aceh $510
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $701 per month in Banda Aceh vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Banda Aceh $701
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Banda Aceh is about 73% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Banda Aceh and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Banda Aceh 76% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$10.67 MX$199

-78.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.09 Rp 128.6K

$43.80 MX$815

-83.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

$11.79 MX$219

-71.59%

Cappuccino

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$3.79 MX$70.5

-67.81%

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

$0.38 Rp 6,876

$1.30 MX$24.14

-70.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,801

$0.83 MX$15.51

-74.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$3.15 MX$58.6

-23.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

$4.93 MX$91.8

-23.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

$1.41 MX$26.22

14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

$2.20 MX$40.86

-61.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.47 MX$27.40

-44.90%

Eggs

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$2.50 MX$46.46

-38.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 Rp 153.7K

$7.29 MX$136

16.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$7.95 MX$148

-69.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.46 Rp 117.2K

$12.86 MX$239

-49.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

$2.90 MX$53.9

-25.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.38 MX$25.74

-39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

$2.49 MX$46.35

-67.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$2.03 MX$37.77

-61.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$2.02 MX$37.68

-58.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

$1.90 MX$35.42

76.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.14 MX$21.30

-24.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,239

$1.24 MX$23.05

-67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

$4.27 MX$79.5

-31.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

$1.53 MX$28.44

-42.48%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

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

$33.04 Rp 599.4K

$83.5 MX$1,554

-60.43%

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

$2.27 Rp 41.2K

$23.19 MX$431

-90.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.59 Rp 428.0K

$27.61 MX$514

-14.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.48 Rp 171.9K

$56.4 MX$1,050

-83.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 Rp 239.9K

$28.19 MX$525

-53.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,910 Rp 34.6M

$5,231 MX$97.3K

-63.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 Rp 502.6K

$43.45 MX$809

-36.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

$42.54 MX$792

-47.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.51 Rp 789.3K

$72.8 MX$1,354

-40.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.47 Rp 498.3K

$88.4 MX$1,645

-68.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

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 Banda Aceh: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banda Aceh

–

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Groceries & Markets

Banda Aceh

–

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Eating Out

Banda Aceh

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banda Aceh

–

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Banda Aceh

–

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Banda Aceh

–

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Getting Around

Banda Aceh

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7 in Banda Aceh versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $131 vs $257 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

15:42 3:42 PM

12 h behind Banda Aceh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,446

149,923

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Banda Aceh Playa del Carmen 17,090 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Banda Aceh
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 277%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $479 per month in Banda Aceh and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7 in Banda Aceh and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Banda Aceh, where all-in costs run around $319, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Banda Aceh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $319 in Banda Aceh to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.