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: $868 in Kedah versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,344 in Kedah versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,819 in Kedah versus $2,980 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 35% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 MYR 12.25

$11.87 MX$207

-74.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.42 MYR 86.9

$42.90 MX$749

-50.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 MYR 17.36

$10.65 MX$186

-59.81%

Cappuccino

$2.95 MYR 11.96

$3.45 MX$60.2

-14.49%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$1.50 MX$26.24

-50.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.48

$0.95 MX$16.56

-61.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 MYR 17.84

$3.03 MX$52.8

45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.19

$4.61 MX$80.4

-2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MYR 7.34

$1.38 MX$24.01

31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 MYR 3.67

$1.85 MX$32.24

-50.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.61 MX$28.11

-24.84%

Eggs

$2.11 MYR 8.58

$2.59 MX$45.26

-18.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 MYR 62.2

$8.26 MX$144

85.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 MYR 20.27

$8.37 MX$146

-40.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 MYR 59.5

$10.66 MX$186

37.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MYR 11.70

$2.63 MX$45.89

9.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.49 MX$25.96

-20.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.60

$1.92 MX$33.50

35.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MYR 8.82

$2.09 MX$36.41

3.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.86 MX$32.42

-36.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.72

$2.26 MX$39.47

-48.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MYR 3.92

$1.06 MX$18.54

-8.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$1.09 MX$18.98

-55.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MYR 16.76

$4.15 MX$72.4

-0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.59 MYR 79.5

$10.39 MX$181

88.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.70

$1.72 MX$30.09

53.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 MYR 13.67

$2.61 MX$45.60

29.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.77

$0.54 MX$9.46

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.77 MYR 47.74

$26.94 MX$470

-56.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$3.13 MX$54.6

-77.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$2.51 MX$43.82

-81.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 MYR 28.34

$3.15 MX$55.0

121.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.00

$1.27 MX$22.25

-61.42%

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

$33.5K MYR 135.9K

$30.4K MX$530.1K

10.24%

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

$27.4K MYR 111.0K

$23.6K MX$411.3K

16.09%

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

$38.49 MYR 156

$83.0 MX$1,449

-53.63%

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

$9.99 MYR 40.52

$22.71 MX$396

-56.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.96 MYR 48.55

$29.46 MX$514

-59.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.49 MYR 148

$51.0 MX$890

-28.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 MYR 23.76

$18.33 MX$320

-68.09%

Cinema Ticket

$2.81 MYR 11.41

$4.93 MX$86.0

-43.00%

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

$238 MYR 964

$197 MX$3,444

20.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,215 MYR 25.2K

$5,280 MX$92.1K

17.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 225

$36.90 MX$644

50.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.32 MYR 115

$39.89 MX$696

-29.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 MYR 252

$80.0 MX$1,396

-22.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.5 MYR 213

$89.5 MX$1,561

-41.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MYR 1,541

$956 MX$16.7K

-60.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MYR 1,094

$477 MX$8,327

-43.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,622

$1,646 MX$28.7K

-60.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MYR 1,886

$1,225 MX$21.4K

-62.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,964 MYR 7,968

$3,918 MX$68.4K

-49.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$957 MYR 3,882

$6,459 MX$112.7K

-85.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,322 MYR 5,363

$667 MX$11.6K

98.15%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Kedah and $956 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: $21.00 in Kedah vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $250, 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 46% in total monthly costs ($868 vs $1,271 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kedah pays 98% 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: $380 in Kedah versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Kedah versus $197 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 $868 in Kedah versus $1,271 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 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.