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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $909 per month in Kemaman vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,334 per month in Kemaman vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,760 per month in Kemaman vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kemaman is about 28% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kemaman and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kemaman 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 MYR 11.18

$11.60 MX$199

-76.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.83 MYR 60.7

$47.11 MX$809

-68.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.33 MYR 17.73

$11.88 MX$204

-63.55%

Cappuccino

$3.13 MYR 12.82

$3.98 MX$68.2

-21.36%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.96

$1.43 MX$24.49

-66.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.58

$0.82 MX$14.16

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 MYR 13.98

$3.19 MX$54.7

7.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 MYR 23.71

$6.79 MX$117

-14.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.72

$1.68 MX$28.76

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$2.20 MX$37.71

-52.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.71 MX$29.32

-41.52%

Eggs

$1.15 MYR 4.70

$2.74 MX$47.05

-58.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 MYR 41.39

$9.58 MX$164

5.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 MYR 13.21

$9.01 MX$155

-64.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 MYR 38.61

$12.81 MX$220

-26.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 MYR 14.59

$2.89 MX$49.58

23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.82

$1.50 MX$25.70

27.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 MYR 11.41

$2.15 MX$36.87

29.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.26

$2.26 MX$38.79

-21.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.82

$1.98 MX$34.00

8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MYR 8.28

$1.99 MX$34.15

1.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MYR 5.88

$1.23 MX$21.18

17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$1.20 MX$20.54

-57.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MYR 18.15

$4.55 MX$78.1

-2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.95 MYR 77.6

$10.37 MX$178

82.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MYR 10.99

$1.62 MX$27.79

65.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.86

$2.88 MX$49.44

60.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.90

$0.60 MX$10.30

18.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.71 MYR 47.94

$28.80 MX$494

-59.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 MYR 4.98

$5.39 MX$92.5

-77.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$3.73 MX$64.0

-90.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.25 MYR 37.85

$5.77 MX$99.0

60.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.00

$1.54 MX$26.37

-68.18%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.5K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

86.94%

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

$33.0K MYR 134.9K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

26.45%

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

$49.20 MYR 201

$91.4 MX$1,569

-46.16%

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

$8.44 MYR 34.55

$25.20 MX$433

-66.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.89 MYR 110

$31.24 MX$536

-13.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 MYR 144

$67.2 MX$1,154

-47.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.08 MYR 29.00

$29.11 MX$500

-75.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 MYR 19.82

$4.86 MX$83.5

-0.41%

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

$123 MYR 503

$224 MX$3,839

-45.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

149.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 MYR 209

$47.10 MX$808

8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.30 MYR 124

$44.29 MX$760

-31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 MYR 324

$80.1 MX$1,375

-1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MYR 354

$92.7 MX$1,591

-6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 MYR 1,645

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-62.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 MYR 1,372

$390 MX$6,698

-14.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 MYR 2,746

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-68.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 MYR 2,189

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-57.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,067 MYR 8,461

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-48.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,025 MYR 4,194

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-84.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

11.45

-60.61%

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

Last update for Kemaman: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Kemaman versus $1,063 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Kemaman versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $276 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 39%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,363 per month in Kemaman and $1,899 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 Kemaman, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Kemaman and $47.00 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 $909 in Kemaman and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kemaman, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Kemaman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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