Cost of Living Comparison Between Gombak and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Gombak and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $812 in Gombak versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,219 in Gombak versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,625 in Gombak versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gombak costs roughly 37% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gombak 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 MYR 10.07

$11.73 MX$203

-78.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.70 MYR 74.2

$41.62 MX$720

-55.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.71 MYR 14.71

$10.64 MX$184

-65.13%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MYR 8.89

$3.52 MX$60.9

-36.36%

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

$0.67 MYR 2.66

$1.51 MX$26.12

-55.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.32

$0.97 MX$16.84

-65.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 MYR 14.25

$2.95 MX$51.0

21.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 MYR 20.38

$4.45 MX$77.0

15.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.21

$1.38 MX$23.93

31.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 MYR 3.83

$1.89 MX$32.72

-48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 5.91

$1.64 MX$28.32

-9.15%

Eggs

$1.89 MYR 7.51

$2.51 MX$43.34

-24.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 MYR 41.40

$8.34 MX$144

25.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 13.72

$8.34 MX$144

-58.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.15 MYR 32.33

$10.73 MX$186

-24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MYR 11.03

$2.60 MX$45.04

6.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.66

$1.46 MX$25.20

15.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 MYR 9.81

$1.90 MX$32.87

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 4.94

$2.08 MX$35.91

-39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.70

$1.78 MX$30.71

-33.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 MYR 4.11

$2.19 MX$37.80

-52.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 MYR 3.57

$1.04 MX$17.99

-13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 MYR 2.00

$1.08 MX$18.62

-53.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MYR 16.46

$4.08 MX$70.6

1.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.52 MYR 81.4

$10.32 MX$178

98.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 MYR 10.82

$1.71 MX$29.61

59.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MYR 15.82

$2.58 MX$44.54

54.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.70

$0.51 MX$8.81

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 MYR 46.99

$26.46 MX$458

-55.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 MYR 3.88

$3.26 MX$56.4

-69.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.35

$2.49 MX$43.09

-55.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 MYR 16.74

$3.25 MX$56.2

29.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.99

$1.31 MX$22.61

-61.83%

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

$30.9K MYR 122.7K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

2.18%

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

$28.0K MYR 110.9K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

19.39%

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

$40.18 MYR 159

$82.9 MX$1,433

-51.51%

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

$9.91 MYR 39.29

$22.22 MX$384

-55.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.66 MYR 89.9

$29.34 MX$507

-22.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.48 MYR 145

$51.6 MX$893

-29.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.93 MYR 23.52

$18.32 MX$317

-67.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 19.71

$5.07 MX$87.6

-1.97%

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

$116 MYR 461

$201 MX$3,473

-42.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,242 MYR 16.8K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-18.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 MYR 196

$36.92 MX$639

33.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.02 MYR 107

$39.79 MX$688

-32.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.1 MYR 211

$78.5 MX$1,357

-32.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.58 MYR 197

$87.1 MX$1,506

-43.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 MYR 1,521

$973 MX$16.8K

-60.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MYR 1,065

$468 MX$8,090

-42.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 MYR 2,524

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-61.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 MYR 1,884

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-61.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,056 MYR 8,152

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-47.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$961 MYR 3,809

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-85.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 MYR 2,243

$664 MX$11.5K

-14.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

11.42

-65.32%

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

Last update for Gombak: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $383 in Gombak and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Gombak vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $249 per month, with Gombak cheaper across the board.

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 60% 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, Playa del Carmen earns 17% less. 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: $383 in Gombak versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $812 in Gombak versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gombak but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gombak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gombak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $812 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gombak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gombak and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gombak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.