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: $955 in Kedah versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Kedah versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,862 in Kedah versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 27% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 31% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 MYR 13.98

$11.96 MX$203

-71.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.37 MYR 50.3

$47.38 MX$804

-73.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 MYR 20.00

$11.75 MX$199

-58.13%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.37

$4.12 MX$70.0

-32.28%

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

$0.97 MYR 3.94

$1.40 MX$23.74

-30.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.34

$0.91 MX$15.48

-63.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 MYR 10.03

$3.21 MX$54.4

-23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 MYR 17.67

$7.07 MX$120

-38.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 MYR 9.97

$1.68 MX$28.44

45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 MYR 5.34

$2.15 MX$36.48

-39.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.92

$1.77 MX$30.10

-3.95%

Eggs

$2.59 MYR 10.53

$2.82 MX$47.76

-8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 MYR 62.9

$9.20 MX$156

68.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 MYR 20.98

$9.23 MX$157

-44.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.82 MYR 39.94

$12.64 MX$214

-22.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.68

$2.95 MX$50.1

-19.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.22

$1.58 MX$26.79

-3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 MYR 9.12

$2.22 MX$37.70

0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$2.36 MX$40.09

-48.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$1.99 MX$33.81

-52.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 MYR 3.28

$1.98 MX$33.58

-59.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$1.24 MX$21.04

-37.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 MYR 2.79

$1.21 MX$20.55

-42.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.22

$4.60 MX$78.1

-2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.57 MYR 87.8

$10.52 MX$178

105.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 MYR 10.14

$1.69 MX$28.70

47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 MYR 14.68

$2.77 MX$47.06

30.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$0.60 MX$10.22

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 MYR 49.48

$29.70 MX$504

-59.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MYR 5.12

$5.24 MX$88.8

-75.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$3.65 MX$61.9

-86.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 MYR 27.41

$5.78 MX$98.1

16.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 MYR 2.61

$1.54 MX$26.09

-58.44%

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

$42.4K MYR 172.6K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

86.10%

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

$28.1K MYR 114.5K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

9.00%

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

$50.1 MYR 204

$90.7 MX$1,538

-44.72%

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

$8.22 MYR 33.46

$25.19 MX$427

-67.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.52 MYR 128

$31.75 MX$539

-0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.66 MYR 169

$68.8 MX$1,167

-39.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.61 MYR 26.88

$29.37 MX$498

-77.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 MYR 18.99

$4.86 MX$82.5

-3.91%

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

$175 MYR 711

$226 MX$3,828

-22.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,909 MYR 20.0K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

17.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 MYR 224

$47.38 MX$804

16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.44 MYR 144

$43.45 MX$737

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 MYR 303

$80.2 MX$1,361

-7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 MYR 287

$91.4 MX$1,550

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 MYR 1,720

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-61.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 MYR 1,355

$409 MX$6,933

-18.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 MYR 2,835

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-64.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 MYR 2,002

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-61.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,052 MYR 8,347

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-49.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,131 MYR 4,601

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-83.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,313 MYR 5,343

$773 MX$13.1K

69.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

11.45

-61.31%

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

Last update for Kedah: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Kedah and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Kedah vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $278 per month, with Kedah 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

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

Kedah and Playa del Carmen differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($955 vs $1,305 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% higher in Kedah, 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: $423 in Kedah versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Kedah versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $955 in Kedah versus $1,305 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.