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: $919 in Labuan versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Labuan versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,902 in Labuan versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Labuan costs roughly 28% 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

$5.23 MYR 21.21

$11.87 MX$204

-55.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.49 MYR 95.3

$42.90 MX$736

-45.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 MYR 26.00

$10.65 MX$183

-39.81%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MYR 15.20

$3.45 MX$59.2

8.70%

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

$1.03 MYR 4.19

$1.50 MX$25.81

-31.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.73

$0.95 MX$16.28

-54.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 MYR 14.01

$3.03 MX$51.9

13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MYR 19.50

$4.61 MX$79.1

4.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MYR 6.56

$1.38 MX$23.61

17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 MYR 3.78

$1.85 MX$31.70

-49.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$1.61 MX$27.65

-22.36%

Eggs

$2.06 MYR 8.33

$2.59 MX$44.51

-20.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.16 MYR 61.5

$8.26 MX$142

83.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 MYR 17.87

$8.37 MX$144

-47.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 MYR 38.75

$10.66 MX$183

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MYR 11.71

$2.63 MX$45.12

9.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.86

$1.49 MX$25.53

-2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 MYR 10.49

$1.92 MX$32.94

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.60

$2.09 MX$35.81

-33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.97

$1.86 MX$31.88

-33.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.40

$2.26 MX$38.81

-41.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MYR 4.24

$1.06 MX$18.23

-0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.09

$1.09 MX$18.67

-52.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MYR 17.28

$4.15 MX$71.2

2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.78 MYR 76.2

$10.39 MX$178

80.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MYR 11.18

$1.72 MX$29.59

60.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.03

$2.61 MX$44.85

13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.97

$0.54 MX$9.30

35.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.84 MYR 48.02

$26.94 MX$462

-56.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.88

$3.13 MX$53.7

-61.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 MYR 4.19

$2.51 MX$43.09

-58.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 MYR 23.98

$3.15 MX$54.1

87.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$1.27 MX$21.88

-60.63%

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

$35.7K MYR 144.6K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

17.44%

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

$31.4K MYR 127.3K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

33.17%

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

$43.07 MYR 175

$83.0 MX$1,425

-48.11%

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

$9.16 MYR 37.16

$22.71 MX$390

-59.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.91 MYR 117

$29.46 MX$506

-1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.49 MYR 152

$51.0 MX$875

-26.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 MYR 23.47

$18.33 MX$315

-68.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MYR 20.20

$4.93 MX$84.5

1.01%

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

$186 MYR 754

$197 MX$3,386

-5.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,044 MYR 28.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

33.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 MYR 242

$36.90 MX$633

62.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.77 MYR 113

$39.89 MX$685

-30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 MYR 300

$80.0 MX$1,373

-7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 MYR 206

$89.5 MX$1,536

-43.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 MYR 1,544

$956 MX$16.4K

-60.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,074

$477 MX$8,189

-44.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 MYR 2,582

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-61.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,949

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-60.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 MYR 8,147

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-48.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$967 MYR 3,922

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-85.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$365 MYR 1,481

$667 MX$11.4K

-45.25%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $381 in Labuan and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 83% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $250 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 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 83% less. 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: $381 in Labuan versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $186 in Labuan versus $197 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 0% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $919 in Labuan versus $1,271 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 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.