Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gombak and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Gombak: $904 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Gombak
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Gombak Living Index
58

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

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Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$904

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $904 in Gombak versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Gombak $904
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Gombak versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Gombak $1,437
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Gombak versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Gombak $1,970
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Gombak costs roughly 25% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gombak 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MYR 14.67

$10.92 MX$204

-67.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.44 MYR 99.6

$43.37 MX$808

-43.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.47

$11.78 MX$220

-57.39%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.07

$3.81 MX$71.0

-22.31%

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

$0.91 MYR 3.73

$1.28 MX$23.90

-28.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.78 MX$14.59

-42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MYR 13.35

$3.17 MX$59.0

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 MYR 23.47

$4.93 MX$92.0

16.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MYR 7.84

$1.41 MX$26.22

36.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.36

$2.22 MX$41.33

-51.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.00

$1.42 MX$26.42

3.52%

Eggs

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$2.52 MX$47.03

-30.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 MYR 40.23

$7.26 MX$135

35.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.67

$7.70 MX$143

-56.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MYR 39.46

$12.69 MX$237

-23.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 MYR 13.84

$2.78 MX$51.9

22.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MYR 7.66

$1.37 MX$25.50

37.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.73

$2.55 MX$47.55

3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.36

$2.12 MX$39.58

-14.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MYR 8.49

$1.94 MX$36.13

7.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 7.99

$1.89 MX$35.16

3.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.85

$1.15 MX$21.37

25.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$1.18 MX$21.98

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$4.30 MX$80.1

4.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 MYR 81.2

$9.95 MX$185

100.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MYR 10.91

$1.58 MX$29.52

69.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.09

$2.67 MX$49.79

66.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$0.55 MX$10.31

49.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.38 MYR 50.4

$26.62 MX$496

-53.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$4.97 MX$92.6

-75.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$3.33 MX$62.1

-89.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.10 MYR 37.06

$5.36 MX$99.8

69.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.55

$1.44 MX$26.92

-39.58%

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

$46.0K MYR 187.5K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

122.65%

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

$35.1K MYR 143.1K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

49.63%

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

$50.0 MYR 204

$84.8 MX$1,581

-41.03%

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

$8.39 MYR 34.20

$23.41 MX$436

-64.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 MYR 108

$28.66 MX$534

-7.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 MYR 151

$57.1 MX$1,063

-35.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.93 MYR 24.17

$28.91 MX$539

-79.49%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 MYR 12.69

$5.14 MX$95.8

-39.49%

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

$282 MYR 1,150

$207 MX$3,851

36.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

169.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$43.35 MX$808

19.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.84 MYR 122

$41.44 MX$772

-27.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 MYR 310

$74.2 MX$1,383

2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 MYR 343

$89.3 MX$1,664

-5.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,673

$980 MX$18.3K

-58.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 MYR 1,163

$381 MX$7,099

-25.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 MYR 2,984

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-57.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 MYR 2,475

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-43.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,943 MYR 7,917

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-50.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,168 MYR 4,760

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-81.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 MYR 2,209

$735 MX$13.7K

-26.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

11.45

-60.61%

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

Last update for Gombak: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gombak

$285 31.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 33.4% $95

Groceries & Markets

Gombak

$250 27.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 1.7% $4.4

Eating Out

Gombak

$113 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 79.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Gombak

$109 12%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2.6% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gombak

$85 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 61.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Gombak

$43 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 55.6% $24

Getting Around

Gombak

$19 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 171% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Gombak and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Gombak vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $255 per month, with Gombak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Gombak

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

11:01 11:01 AM

13 h behind Gombak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,699

149,923

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gombak Playa del Carmen 17,190 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Gombak
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

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

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Gombak. 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: $411 in Gombak 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 Gombak runs roughly 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $904 per month in Gombak versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Gombak is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Gombak wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.