Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kangar, Perlis and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kangar, Perlis: $910 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Kangar, Perlis, Malaysia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Kangar, Perlis
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$910
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $910 per month in Kangar, Perlis vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Kangar, Perlis $910
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Kangar, Perlis vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Kangar, Perlis $1,427
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Kangar, Perlis vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Kangar, Perlis $1,944
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Kangar, Perlis is about 24% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kangar, Perlis and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kangar, Perlis 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.59 MYR 14.61
$10.92 MX$205
-67.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.29 MYR 82.6
$43.37 MX$813
-53.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.02 MYR 20.45
$11.78 MX$221
-57.39%
Cappuccino
$2.59 MYR 10.55
$3.81 MX$71.4
-32.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 MYR 2.85
$1.28 MX$24.03
-45.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 MYR 1.91
$0.78 MX$14.67
-39.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.37 MYR 17.80
$3.17 MX$59.3
37.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.62 MYR 18.81
$4.93 MX$92.5
-6.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 MYR 7.50
$1.41 MX$26.35
30.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.06 MYR 4.31
$2.22 MX$41.54
-52.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 MYR 5.68
$1.42 MX$26.56
-1.41%
Eggs
$2.23 MYR 9.06
$2.52 MX$47.27
-11.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.65 MYR 63.7
$7.26 MX$136
115.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.01 MYR 20.39
$7.70 MX$144
-34.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.38 MYR 38.19
$12.69 MX$238
-26.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.84 MYR 11.54
$2.78 MX$52.2
2.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.82 MYR 7.41
$1.37 MX$25.64
32.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 MYR 10.81
$2.55 MX$47.80
3.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 MYR 5.44
$2.12 MX$39.78
-36.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 MYR 4.33
$1.94 MX$36.32
-45.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 MYR 5.90
$1.89 MX$35.34
-23.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 MYR 4.55
$1.15 MX$21.49
-2.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 MYR 2.02
$1.18 MX$22.09
-57.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.93 MYR 20.09
$4.30 MX$80.5
14.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.61 MYR 88.0
$9.95 MX$186
117.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 MYR 11.43
$1.58 MX$29.67
77.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 MYR 18.20
$2.67 MX$50.1
67.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.78 MYR 3.18
$0.55 MX$10.37
41.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.74 MYR 47.80
$26.62 MX$499
-55.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.24 MYR 5.03
$4.97 MX$93.1
-75.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 MYR 2.44
$3.33 MX$62.4
-81.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.61 MYR 30.96
$5.36 MX$100
41.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 MYR 3.27
$1.44 MX$27.06
-44.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.2K MYR 204.5K
$20.7K MX$387.3K
143.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K MYR 152.5K
$23.5K MX$439.7K
59.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$49.46 MYR 201
$84.8 MX$1,589
-41.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.52 MYR 38.75
$23.41 MX$439
-59.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.47 MYR 124
$28.66 MX$537
6.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.44 MYR 132
$57.1 MX$1,069
-43.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.31 MYR 29.74
$28.91 MX$542
-74.71%
Cinema Ticket
$4.44 MYR 18.06
$5.14 MX$96.3
-13.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MYR 845
$207 MX$3,871
0.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,103 MYR 28.9K
$3,927 MX$73.6K
80.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.7 MYR 243
$43.35 MX$812
37.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.71 MYR 158
$41.44 MX$777
-6.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.9 MYR 309
$74.2 MX$1,390
2.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.9 MYR 346
$89.3 MX$1,672
-4.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$442 MYR 1,799
$980 MX$18.4K
-54.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$264 MYR 1,076
$381 MX$7,136
-30.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$764 MYR 3,111
$1,708 MX$32.0K
-55.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$547 MYR 2,228
$1,075 MX$20.1K
-49.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,900 MYR 7,734
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-51.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,131 MYR 4,605
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-81.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kangar, Perlis
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.06
11.45
-64.54%

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

Last update for Kangar, Perlis: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kangar, Perlis
$269
Playa del Carmen
$255 5.2% $14
Accommodation & Living
Kangar, Perlis
$264
Playa del Carmen
$381 44.1% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Kangar, Perlis
$117
Playa del Carmen
$112 4.2% $5
Eating Out
Kangar, Perlis
$111
Playa del Carmen
$202 82.8% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kangar, Perlis
$89
Playa del Carmen
$137 53% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Kangar, Perlis
$41
Playa del Carmen
$67 63% $26
Getting Around
Kangar, Perlis
$19
Playa del Carmen
$50 164% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $442 in Kangar, Perlis versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Kangar, Perlis versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Kangar, Perlis vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇾 Kangar, Perlis
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
21:09 9:09 PM
08:09 8:09 AM
13 h behind Kangar, Perlis
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
284,853
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kangar, Perlis Playa del Carmen 16,900 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kangar, Perlis
  • 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
Kangar, Perlis vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kangar, Perlis and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $910 in Kangar, Perlis, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Kangar, Perlis comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Kangar, Perlis compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,365 per month in Kangar, Perlis and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kangar, Perlis and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kangar, Perlis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $442 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Kangar, Perlis and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Kangar, Perlis or Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $910 in Kangar, Perlis and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Kangar, Perlis about 24% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kangar, Perlis, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kangar, Perlis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Kangar, Perlis and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $910 in Kangar, Perlis to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Kangar, Perlis vs other spots: cost of living compared

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