Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banyuwangi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Banyuwangi: $471 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Banyuwangi, Indonesia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Banyuwangi
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$471
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $471 in Banyuwangi versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Banyuwangi $471
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $763 in Banyuwangi versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Banyuwangi $763
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,055 in Banyuwangi versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Banyuwangi $1,055
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Banyuwangi costs roughly 61% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Banyuwangi 65% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$0.68 Rp 12.3K
$10.86 MX$202
-93.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.40 Rp 205.0K
$44.21 MX$820
-74.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.03 Rp 54.4K
$11.76 MX$218
-74.23%
Cappuccino
$1.22 Rp 21.9K
$3.68 MX$68.3
-66.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 Rp 6,226
$1.34 MX$24.88
-73.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14 Rp 2,604
$0.82 MX$15.30
-82.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.05 Rp 36.8K
$3.06 MX$56.8
-33.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.17 Rp 75.0K
$4.94 MX$91.6
-15.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 Rp 18.3K
$1.47 MX$27.27
-30.61%
White Bread (500g)
$0.69 Rp 12.5K
$2.22 MX$41.10
-68.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.74 Rp 13.4K
$1.48 MX$27.43
-50.00%
Eggs
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
$2.49 MX$46.17
-69.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 65.9K
$7.52 MX$139
-51.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.03 Rp 36.5K
$7.96 MX$148
-74.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.59 Rp 118.5K
$12.57 MX$233
-47.57%
Apples (1kg)
$1.94 Rp 34.9K
$2.78 MX$51.5
-30.22%
Banana (1kg)
$0.55 Rp 9,858
$1.43 MX$26.47
-61.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.69 Rp 12.4K
$2.62 MX$48.55
-73.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 Rp 18.3K
$2.14 MX$39.64
-52.34%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
$2.02 MX$37.52
-59.41%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$1.99 MX$36.88
-57.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 Rp 10.3K
$1.14 MX$21.09
-50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.37 Rp 6,594
$1.20 MX$22.26
-69.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.96 Rp 35.3K
$4.26 MX$79.0
-53.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.52 Rp 99.2K
$10.02 MX$186
-44.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 Rp 24.5K
$1.54 MX$28.52
-11.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 Rp 39.7K
$2.66 MX$49.36
-16.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,791
$0.53 MX$9.77
-49.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.29 Rp 149.0K
$27.51 MX$510
-69.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,667
$4.90 MX$91.0
-90.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.27 Rp 4,821
$3.43 MX$63.7
-92.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.69 Rp 48.4K
$5.38 MX$99.8
-50.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.74 Rp 13.3K
$1.45 MX$26.86
-48.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.6K Rp 406.6M
$21.2K MX$392.5K
6.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K Rp 506.0M
$23.0K MX$427.0K
22.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$46.73 Rp 840.0K
$85.4 MX$1,583
-45.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.68 Rp 84.1K
$23.46 MX$435
-80.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.50 Rp 332.6K
$28.43 MX$527
-34.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.45 Rp 349.6K
$62.2 MX$1,154
-68.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.55 Rp 153.8K
$28.68 MX$532
-70.19%
Cinema Ticket
$1.92 Rp 34.5K
$5.10 MX$94.7
-62.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$28.07 Rp 504.7K
$201 MX$3,730
-86.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,114 Rp 20.0M
$3,947 MX$73.2K
-71.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.35 Rp 401.9K
$44.39 MX$823
-49.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$11.02 Rp 198.1K
$41.35 MX$767
-73.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.2 Rp 1.0M
$72.7 MX$1,349
-22.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$27.73 Rp 498.5K
$89.6 MX$1,662
-69.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$233 Rp 4.2M
$979 MX$18.2K
-76.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$147 Rp 2.6M
$373 MX$6,914
-60.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$531 Rp 9.5M
$1,681 MX$31.2K
-68.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$367 Rp 6.6M
$1,095 MX$20.3K
-66.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,177 Rp 21.2M
$3,949 MX$73.3K
-70.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$807 Rp 14.5M
$6,137 MX$113.8K
-86.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Banyuwangi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$154 Rp 2.8M
$738 MX$13.7K
-79.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.84
11.45
-40.26%

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

Last update for Banyuwangi: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Banyuwangi
$147
Playa del Carmen
$373 154% $226
Groceries & Markets
Banyuwangi
$118
Playa del Carmen
$258 119% $140
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Banyuwangi
$70
Playa del Carmen
$137 96.3% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Banyuwangi
$53
Playa del Carmen
$112 112% $59
Eating Out
Banyuwangi
$50
Playa del Carmen
$200 303% $150
Sport & Entertainment
Banyuwangi
$23
Playa del Carmen
$72 211% $49
Getting Around
Banyuwangi
$11
Playa del Carmen
$52 362% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Banyuwangi and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $11 in Banyuwangi vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $118 vs $258 per month, with Banyuwangi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Banyuwangi
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
09:27 9:27 AM
21:27 9:27 PM
12 h behind Banyuwangi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
117,558
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 17,978 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,130 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.97 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18.55 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Banyuwangi Playa del Carmen 17,330 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Banyuwangi
  • 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
Banyuwangi vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Banyuwangi cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Banyuwangi is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Banyuwangi or Playa del Carmen?
On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Banyuwangi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Banyuwangi and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $233 in Banyuwangi versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Banyuwangi and in Playa del Carmen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Banyuwangi or in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Banyuwangi – a meal for two runs $11 versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Banyuwangi or in Playa del Carmen?
At $471 in Banyuwangi versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Banyuwangi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Banyuwangi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Banyuwangi or in Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Banyuwangi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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