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: $857 in Kedah versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,327 in Kedah versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,798 in Kedah versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kedah 36% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.14 MYR 12.82

$11.95 MX$208

-73.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.57 MYR 88.2

$41.94 MX$731

-48.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.26 MYR 17.42

$10.42 MX$182

-59.12%

Cappuccino

$2.94 MYR 12.02

$3.51 MX$61.3

-16.24%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$1.52 MX$26.44

-51.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.37

$0.91 MX$15.88

-63.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 MYR 17.91

$3.04 MX$53.0

44.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MYR 17.67

$4.37 MX$76.2

-1.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 MYR 7.47

$1.42 MX$24.78

28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 MYR 3.97

$1.83 MX$31.93

-46.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.75

$1.63 MX$28.51

-28.83%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.32

$2.54 MX$44.29

-19.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 MYR 60.4

$8.57 MX$149

72.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MYR 20.44

$8.49 MX$148

-41.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 MYR 59.4

$10.80 MX$188

34.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MYR 11.31

$2.75 MX$48.04

0.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.95

$1.44 MX$25.05

-15.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 10.98

$1.89 MX$32.90

42.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 MYR 8.64

$2.17 MX$37.84

-2.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.88

$1.78 MX$31.03

-33.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.94

$2.22 MX$38.79

-45.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MYR 3.96

$1.07 MX$18.64

-9.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$1.08 MX$18.83

-58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MYR 16.96

$4.15 MX$72.3

Wine (Bottle)

$19.04 MYR 77.8

$10.45 MX$182

82.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.85

$1.74 MX$30.40

52.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 MYR 14.46

$2.58 MX$45.01

37.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$0.51 MX$8.95

37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.64 MYR 47.59

$25.94 MX$452

-55.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 MYR 3.00

$3.21 MX$56.0

-77.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$2.50 MX$43.64

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 MYR 28.96

$3.19 MX$55.6

121.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$1.26 MX$21.91

-60.32%

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

$33.6K MYR 137.5K

$29.7K MX$517.7K

13.27%

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

$27.8K MYR 113.6K

$23.7K MX$413.0K

17.36%

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

$38.56 MYR 158

$82.0 MX$1,430

-52.99%

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

$9.94 MYR 40.63

$22.73 MX$396

-56.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.76 MYR 48.07

$29.42 MX$513

-60.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.42 MYR 153

$52.2 MX$910

-28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.04 MYR 24.68

$18.45 MX$322

-67.26%

Cinema Ticket

$2.81 MYR 11.49

$4.93 MX$86.0

-43.00%

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

$236 MYR 964

$202 MX$3,519

16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,189 MYR 25.3K

$5,217 MX$91.0K

18.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 MYR 221

$35.93 MX$627

50.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.68 MYR 117

$40.33 MX$703

-28.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 MYR 255

$79.9 MX$1,393

-22.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.8 MYR 220

$89.3 MX$1,557

-39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 MYR 1,561

$948 MX$16.5K

-59.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 MYR 1,118

$465 MX$8,114

-41.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MYR 2,657

$1,630 MX$28.4K

-60.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,946

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-60.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,045 MYR 8,362

$3,933 MX$68.6K

-48.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,134 MYR 4,635

$6,428 MX$112.1K

-82.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,301 MYR 5,319

$658 MX$11.5K

97.66%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Kedah and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Kedah vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 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 47% in total monthly costs ($857 vs $1,259 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $382 in Kedah versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $236 in Kedah versus $202 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 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $857 in Kedah versus $1,259 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 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.