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: $810 in Gombak versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,218 in Gombak versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,626 in Gombak versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gombak costs roughly 36% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gombak 39% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 MYR 10.86

$11.99 MX$210

-77.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.02 MYR 77.8

$41.78 MX$733

-54.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 MYR 14.99

$10.75 MX$189

-65.95%

Cappuccino

$2.31 MYR 9.46

$3.50 MX$61.3

-34.00%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.81

$1.45 MX$25.41

-52.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.49

$0.88 MX$15.52

-59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MYR 14.18

$2.95 MX$51.7

17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 MYR 20.56

$4.51 MX$79.1

11.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$1.43 MX$25.12

27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 MYR 3.94

$1.84 MX$32.23

-47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.93

$1.57 MX$27.51

-7.64%

Eggs

$1.88 MYR 7.69

$2.51 MX$44.06

-25.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 MYR 43.97

$8.28 MX$145

29.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 MYR 14.10

$8.43 MX$148

-59.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 MYR 32.63

$10.68 MX$187

-25.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 MYR 11.22

$2.61 MX$45.76

4.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.91

$1.44 MX$25.22

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MYR 10.16

$1.96 MX$34.41

27.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.11

$2.09 MX$36.74

-40.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.64

$1.85 MX$32.47

-38.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.22

$2.17 MX$38.02

-52.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 MYR 3.92

$1.03 MX$18.09

-6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$1.07 MX$18.84

-51.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MYR 17.48

$4.10 MX$72.0

4.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 MYR 78.8

$10.17 MX$178

89.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 MYR 11.05

$1.68 MX$29.38

60.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MYR 15.65

$2.53 MX$44.31

51.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.80

$0.51 MX$8.93

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.64 MYR 47.63

$26.04 MX$457

-55.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$3.23 MX$56.7

-68.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.49

$2.41 MX$42.19

-54.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 MYR 17.24

$3.23 MX$56.6

30.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.01

$1.32 MX$23.17

-62.88%

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

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

3.96%

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

$27.8K MYR 113.7K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

17.49%

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

$41.04 MYR 168

$82.0 MX$1,439

-49.96%

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

$9.57 MYR 39.16

$22.95 MX$403

-58.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.09 MYR 94.4

$30.11 MX$528

-23.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 MYR 148

$52.0 MX$912

-30.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.83 MYR 23.84

$18.53 MX$325

-68.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.60

$4.98 MX$87.3

1.20%

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

$119 MYR 487

$197 MX$3,463

-39.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,236 MYR 17.3K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-20.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.65 MYR 199

$35.60 MX$624

36.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.37 MYR 112

$40.33 MX$707

-32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 MYR 223

$78.8 MX$1,381

-30.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.32 MYR 198

$88.9 MX$1,560

-45.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MYR 1,576

$947 MX$16.6K

-59.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 MYR 1,119

$474 MX$8,314

-42.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 MYR 2,672

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 MYR 1,931

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-61.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,780 MYR 7,282

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-56.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,304 MYR 5,333

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-79.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 MYR 2,252

$654 MX$11.5K

-15.79%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Gombak and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 19% 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 $230 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 55% 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 19% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $385 in Gombak versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 $810 in Gombak versus $1,256 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 $810 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 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.