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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $845 in Kedah versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,324 in Kedah versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,803 in Kedah versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 33% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 37% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 MYR 11.73

$11.67 MX$202

-74.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.99 MYR 82.9

$41.88 MX$726

-49.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.25 MYR 16.81

$10.40 MX$180

-59.13%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.37

$3.61 MX$62.6

-20.22%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.71

$1.47 MX$25.45

-53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.43

$0.91 MX$15.80

-60.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.28 MYR 16.91

$3.03 MX$52.6

41.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.34

$4.47 MX$77.4

-1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 MYR 7.26

$1.38 MX$23.83

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 MYR 3.56

$1.84 MX$31.93

-51.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.59

$1.61 MX$27.82

-27.95%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.42

$2.57 MX$44.52

-17.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 MYR 59.0

$8.49 MX$147

75.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 MYR 20.37

$8.49 MX$147

-39.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 MYR 58.2

$10.99 MX$190

34.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MYR 11.34

$2.73 MX$47.25

5.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.77

$1.50 MX$25.92

-19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 MYR 10.59

$1.96 MX$33.93

36.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MYR 8.24

$2.12 MX$36.70

-1.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.65

$1.86 MX$32.30

-36.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.80

$2.17 MX$37.67

-43.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.75

$1.07 MX$18.59

-11.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.91

$1.05 MX$18.18

-54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MYR 16.57

$4.19 MX$72.6

Wine (Bottle)

$19.49 MYR 77.0

$10.28 MX$178

89.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.47

$1.67 MX$28.87

58.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 MYR 13.89

$2.49 MX$43.12

41.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.85

$0.54 MX$9.37

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.89 MYR 46.98

$26.27 MX$455

-54.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 MYR 2.69

$3.10 MX$53.8

-78.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.84

$2.46 MX$42.66

-80.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 MYR 27.47

$3.24 MX$56.1

114.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.97

$1.26 MX$21.83

-60.32%

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

$33.2K MYR 131.3K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

10.21%

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

$27.9K MYR 110.3K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

19.16%

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

$38.58 MYR 152

$84.0 MX$1,456

-54.07%

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

$10.25 MYR 40.50

$22.21 MX$385

-53.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.73 MYR 46.35

$29.65 MX$514

-60.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.97 MYR 146

$52.6 MX$912

-29.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 MYR 22.85

$18.34 MX$318

-68.43%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 MYR 11.33

$4.95 MX$85.7

-42.02%

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

$243 MYR 958

$198 MX$3,438

22.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,217 MYR 24.6K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

16.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MYR 213

$35.95 MX$623

49.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.08 MYR 115

$40.06 MX$694

-27.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 MYR 241

$78.8 MX$1,365

-22.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.0 MYR 209

$86.5 MX$1,499

-38.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 MYR 1,528

$977 MX$16.9K

-60.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,061

$471 MX$8,158

-42.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 MYR 2,519

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-60.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MYR 1,857

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-61.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,647 MYR 6,507

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-59.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,008 MYR 3,983

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-84.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,358 MYR 5,364

$714 MX$12.4K

90.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

11.42

-63.57%

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

Last update for Kedah: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Kedah and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21 in Kedah vs $42 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Kedah and Playa del Carmen differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($845 vs $1,261 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kedah pays 90% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Kedah versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $243 in Kedah versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $845 in Kedah versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.