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: $976 in Labuan versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,496 in Labuan versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,016 in Labuan versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Labuan costs roughly 23% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Labuan 29% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 MYR 22.41

$11.60 MX$200

-52.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.04 MYR 102

$47.11 MX$811

-46.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 MYR 27.92

$11.88 MX$205

-42.42%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MYR 16.28

$3.98 MX$68.5

0.25%

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

$1.07 MYR 4.37

$1.43 MX$24.57

-25.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.69

$0.82 MX$14.20

-48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 MYR 16.77

$3.19 MX$54.9

28.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 MYR 15.37

$6.79 MX$117

-44.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MYR 7.23

$1.68 MX$28.85

5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$2.20 MX$37.83

-50.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.71 MX$29.41

-16.37%

Eggs

$1.91 MYR 7.78

$2.74 MX$47.20

-30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.99 MYR 69.3

$9.58 MX$165

77.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 MYR 18.50

$9.01 MX$155

-49.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 MYR 40.43

$12.81 MX$221

-22.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 MYR 12.71

$2.89 MX$49.74

7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.49

$1.50 MX$25.78

22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.71

$2.15 MX$36.98

10.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.66

$2.26 MX$38.91

-38.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.48

$1.98 MX$34.10

-32.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.97

$1.99 MX$34.26

-38.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.66

$1.23 MX$21.25

-7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.15

$1.20 MX$20.60

-55.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MYR 18.98

$4.55 MX$78.3

2.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.54 MYR 87.9

$10.37 MX$179

107.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 MYR 10.32

$1.62 MX$27.88

56.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.81

$2.88 MX$49.60

17.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 MYR 3.45

$0.60 MX$10.34

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.20 MYR 53.9

$28.80 MX$496

-54.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 MYR 5.77

$5.39 MX$92.8

-73.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.02

$3.73 MX$64.2

-86.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 MYR 31.96

$5.77 MX$99.3

35.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$1.54 MX$26.45

-49.35%

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

$43.6K MYR 178.0K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

93.48%

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

$31.3K MYR 127.5K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

19.94%

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

$50.1 MYR 204

$91.4 MX$1,573

-45.15%

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

$9.61 MYR 39.18

$25.20 MX$434

-61.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 MYR 115

$31.24 MX$538

-9.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.96 MYR 179

$67.2 MX$1,157

-34.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 MYR 27.58

$29.11 MX$501

-76.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 MYR 18.21

$4.86 MX$83.7

-8.23%

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

$194 MYR 790

$224 MX$3,851

-13.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,758 MYR 19.4K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

12.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 MYR 247

$47.10 MX$811

28.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 MYR 141

$44.29 MX$763

-22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MYR 328

$80.1 MX$1,379

0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 MYR 294

$92.7 MX$1,596

-22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 MYR 1,845

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-57.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,270

$390 MX$6,719

-20.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$701 MYR 2,858

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-67.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 MYR 2,124

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-59.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 MYR 7,751

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-52.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,043 MYR 4,255

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-83.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 MYR 1,531

$758 MX$13.1K

-50.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

11.45

-63.32%

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

Last update for Labuan: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $452 in Labuan and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 102% 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: $25.00 in Labuan vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $276 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 102% 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: $452 in Labuan versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $194 in Labuan versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $976 in Labuan versus $1,266 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 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.