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 $965 per month in Kemaman vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,413 per month in Kemaman vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,861 per month in Kemaman vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kemaman is about 23% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kemaman and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kemaman 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 MYR 10.64

$11.72 MX$203

-77.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.15 MYR 57.8

$41.89 MX$726

-66.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.67 MYR 15.00

$10.51 MX$182

-65.08%

Cappuccino

$2.33 MYR 9.51

$3.59 MX$62.1

-35.10%

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

$0.46 MYR 1.86

$1.51 MX$26.13

-69.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MYR 1.39

$0.92 MX$15.86

-63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 MYR 17.64

$2.96 MX$51.2

45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 MYR 22.29

$4.41 MX$76.4

23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.40 MX$24.19

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 MYR 3.98

$1.88 MX$32.65

-48.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 MYR 3.73

$1.56 MX$27.01

-41.67%

Eggs

$1.15 MYR 4.71

$2.61 MX$45.20

-55.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 MYR 57.0

$8.32 MX$144

67.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 MYR 15.33

$8.35 MX$145

-55.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 MYR 39.53

$10.86 MX$188

-10.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 MYR 16.37

$2.71 MX$47.00

47.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.22

$1.51 MX$26.08

17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 MYR 13.67

$1.87 MX$32.46

79.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.66

$2.19 MX$37.94

19.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.13

$1.86 MX$32.18

-5.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MYR 4.06

$2.23 MX$38.64

-55.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.41

$1.07 MX$18.51

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.87

$1.09 MX$18.82

-57.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MYR 16.90

$4.19 MX$72.5

-1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 MYR 79.8

$10.43 MX$181

87.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 MYR 17.54

$1.66 MX$28.72

159.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 MYR 22.38

$2.61 MX$45.26

109.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.83

$0.54 MX$9.39

27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.61 MYR 47.40

$26.16 MX$453

-55.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$3.08 MX$53.3

-61.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$2.40 MX$41.66

-54.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MYR 17.75

$3.13 MX$54.2

38.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.88

$1.31 MX$22.72

-64.89%

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

$42.9K MYR 175.3K

$29.8K MX$516.4K

44.02%

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

$31.6K MYR 128.9K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

35.39%

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

$73.8 MYR 301

$81.3 MX$1,408

-9.19%

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

$9.71 MYR 39.65

$22.56 MX$391

-56.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.92 MYR 118

$30.05 MX$521

-3.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 MYR 151

$52.9 MX$917

-30.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.82 MYR 23.78

$18.39 MX$319

-68.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MYR 22.48

$4.92 MX$85.2

11.99%

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

$120 MYR 490

$201 MX$3,479

-40.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,311 MYR 17.6K

$5,175 MX$89.7K

-16.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 MYR 440

$35.92 MX$622

200.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.82 MYR 114

$40.13 MX$695

-30.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MYR 304

$79.7 MX$1,381

-6.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 MYR 322

$86.5 MX$1,498

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MYR 1,553

$978 MX$16.9K

-61.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 MYR 1,080

$470 MX$8,152

-43.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 MYR 2,658

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-60.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MYR 1,918

$1,203 MX$20.9K

-60.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,013 MYR 8,220

$3,953 MX$68.5K

-49.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,152 MYR 4,705

$6,607 MX$114.5K

-82.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

11.42

-65.32%

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

Last update for Kemaman: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $380 in Kemaman versus $978 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 $14.00 in Kemaman versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Kemaman vs $252 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 31%, 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 $1,448 per month in Kemaman and $1,890 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 $14.00 in Kemaman and $42.00 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 $965 in Kemaman and $1,260 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 $965, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.