Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karawang and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Karawang: $457 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Karawang
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Karawang Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Karawang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$457

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $457 per month in Karawang vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Karawang $457
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $824 per month in Karawang vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Karawang $824
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,191 per month in Karawang vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Karawang $1,191
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Karawang is about 62% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Karawang and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Karawang 66% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.42 Rp 25.8K

$10.67 MX$201

-86.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.17 Rp 202.6K

$43.80 MX$824

-74.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.39 Rp 61.6K

$11.79 MX$222

-71.25%

Cappuccino

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$3.79 MX$71.2

-60.69%

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

$0.42 Rp 7,629

$1.30 MX$24.41

-67.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,851

$0.83 MX$15.69

-74.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

$3.15 MX$59.2

-4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 Rp 55.4K

$4.93 MX$92.9

-38.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

$1.41 MX$26.51

-23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$2.20 MX$41.32

-53.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.47 MX$27.71

-42.86%

Eggs

$1.45 Rp 26.3K

$2.50 MX$46.99

-42.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

$7.29 MX$137

-62.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 Rp 50.1K

$7.95 MX$150

-65.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 Rp 139.7K

$12.86 MX$242

-40.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

$2.90 MX$54.5

-37.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

$1.38 MX$26.03

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$2.49 MX$46.88

-51.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 Rp 9,295

$2.03 MX$38.20

-74.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.2K

$2.02 MX$38.11

-55.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.9K

$1.90 MX$35.82

-22.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 Rp 12.2K

$1.14 MX$21.54

-41.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,788

$1.24 MX$23.32

-65.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 Rp 47.7K

$4.27 MX$80.4

-38.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.00 Rp 399.3K

$9.81 MX$185

124.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$1.59 MX$29.85

16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 Rp 58.1K

$2.75 MX$51.7

16.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,560

$0.51 MX$9.69

-50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.38 Rp 206.5K

$27.39 MX$515

-58.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 Rp 15.7K

$4.76 MX$89.6

-81.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 Rp 9,809

$3.25 MX$61.1

-83.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 Rp 19.7K

$5.39 MX$101

-79.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.1K

$1.53 MX$28.76

-45.75%

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

$21.1K Rp 383.8M

$21.2K MX$399.2K

-0.30%

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

$32.0K Rp 581.1M

$23.3K MX$437.8K

37.64%

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

$32.76 Rp 594.6K

$83.5 MX$1,571

-60.76%

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

$4.21 Rp 76.4K

$23.19 MX$436

-81.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.47 Rp 226.4K

$27.61 MX$520

-54.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.15 Rp 365.7K

$56.4 MX$1,062

-64.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.33 Rp 151.1K

$28.19 MX$531

-70.45%

Cinema Ticket

$2.80 Rp 50.8K

$5.00 MX$94.1

-44.00%

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

$43.31 Rp 785.9K

$207 MX$3,897

-79.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,151 Rp 147.9M

$5,231 MX$98.4K

55.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.79 Rp 304.6K

$43.45 MX$818

-61.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.09 Rp 491.7K

$42.54 MX$801

-36.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.47 Rp 879.6K

$72.8 MX$1,369

-33.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.73 Rp 884.4K

$88.4 MX$1,663

-44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.5M

$995 MX$18.7K

-86.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

$382 MX$7,197

-82.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 Rp 9.9M

$1,674 MX$31.5K

-67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 Rp 6.6M

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-66.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,156 Rp 21.0M

$3,909 MX$73.6K

-70.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 Rp 14.2M

$6,138 MX$115.5K

-87.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$404 Rp 7.3M

$832 MX$15.7K

-51.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

11.45

-0.61%

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

Last update for Karawang: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Karawang

$171 37.5%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 50.2% $86

Accommodation & Living

Karawang

$68 14.8%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 464% $315

Clothing & Footwear

Karawang

$63 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 75.2% $48

Eating Out

Karawang

$63 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 218% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karawang

$49 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 172% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Karawang

$26 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 158% $41

Getting Around

Karawang

$16 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 216% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Karawang versus $995 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.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.1 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Karawang versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $257 – making Karawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Karawang

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

03:56 3:56 AM

12 h behind Karawang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,472

149,923

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,148 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,345 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karawang Playa del Carmen 17,790 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Karawang
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 163% more than Karawang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $685 per month in Karawang and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karawang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Karawang and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $457 in Karawang and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Karawang about 62% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Karawang, where all-in costs run around $457, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Karawang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karawang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Karawang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.