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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $899 in Labuan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,375 in Labuan versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,850 in Labuan versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Labuan costs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Labuan 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 MYR 22.01

$11.72 MX$203

-54.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.31 MYR 95.2

$41.89 MX$726

-44.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 MYR 26.98

$10.51 MX$182

-37.11%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MYR 15.05

$3.59 MX$62.1

2.51%

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

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$1.51 MX$26.13

-31.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.92 MX$15.86

-57.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 MYR 14.34

$2.96 MX$51.2

18.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MYR 20.17

$4.41 MX$76.4

12.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$1.40 MX$24.19

18.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.88 MX$32.65

-45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.09

$1.56 MX$27.01

-19.87%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.70

$2.61 MX$45.20

-18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 MYR 61.2

$8.32 MX$144

80.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.75

$8.35 MX$145

-47.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.37 MYR 38.27

$10.86 MX$188

-13.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 MYR 12.10

$2.71 MX$47.00

9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.90

$1.51 MX$26.08

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.68

$1.87 MX$32.46

39.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.82

$2.19 MX$37.94

-34.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 5.00

$1.86 MX$32.18

-34.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.40

$2.23 MX$38.64

-40.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.10

$1.07 MX$18.51

-6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.10

$1.09 MX$18.82

-53.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MYR 17.16

$4.19 MX$72.5

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 MYR 80.5

$10.43 MX$181

88.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MYR 11.26

$1.66 MX$28.72

66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.93

$2.61 MX$45.26

11.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$0.54 MX$9.39

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.86 MYR 48.45

$26.16 MX$453

-54.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 MYR 4.77

$3.08 MX$53.3

-62.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 MYR 4.22

$2.40 MX$41.66

-57.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 MYR 24.58

$3.13 MX$54.2

92.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$1.31 MX$22.72

-61.83%

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

$35.5K MYR 144.9K

$29.8K MX$516.4K

19.03%

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

$31.0K MYR 126.6K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

32.91%

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

$44.40 MYR 181

$81.3 MX$1,408

-45.37%

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

$9.04 MYR 36.92

$22.56 MX$391

-59.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 MYR 119

$30.05 MX$521

-3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 MYR 150

$52.9 MX$917

-30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.87 MYR 23.97

$18.39 MX$319

-68.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.31

$4.92 MX$85.2

1.02%

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

$187 MYR 764

$201 MX$3,479

-6.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,975 MYR 28.5K

$5,175 MX$89.7K

34.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MYR 244

$35.92 MX$622

66.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.87 MYR 110

$40.13 MX$695

-33.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 MYR 293

$79.7 MX$1,381

-10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.3 MYR 210

$86.5 MX$1,498

-40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MYR 1,573

$978 MX$16.9K

-60.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 MYR 1,110

$470 MX$8,152

-42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 MYR 2,672

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-60.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 MYR 1,959

$1,203 MX$20.9K

-60.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,233 MYR 9,117

$3,953 MX$68.5K

-43.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,011 MYR 4,128

$6,607 MX$114.5K

-84.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 MYR 1,480

$677 MX$11.7K

-46.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

11.42

-64.36%

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

Last update for Labuan: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Labuan and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 87% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Labuan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $252 per month, with Labuan 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

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

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $385 in Labuan versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Labuan versus $201 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 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $899 in Labuan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Labuan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.