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: $893 in Labuan versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,380 in Labuan versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,868 in Labuan versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Labuan costs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Labuan 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 MYR 20.48

$11.94 MX$209

-56.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.52 MYR 92.9

$42.75 MX$748

-44.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 MYR 25.08

$10.59 MX$185

-40.04%

Cappuccino

$3.65 MYR 14.42

$3.62 MX$63.4

0.83%

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

$1.04 MYR 4.09

$1.47 MX$25.69

-29.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.55

$0.94 MX$16.51

-58.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 MYR 13.62

$3.09 MX$54.1

11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 MYR 19.32

$4.46 MX$78.0

9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MYR 6.37

$1.43 MX$24.94

12.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 MYR 3.78

$1.88 MX$32.97

-48.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 4.95

$1.63 MX$28.50

-23.31%

Eggs

$2.03 MYR 8.03

$2.64 MX$46.26

-23.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.01 MYR 59.3

$8.21 MX$144

82.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 MYR 16.99

$8.29 MX$145

-48.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 MYR 36.67

$11.10 MX$194

-16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 MYR 11.27

$2.65 MX$46.40

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.01

$1.50 MX$26.26

1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 MYR 10.03

$1.99 MX$34.79

27.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.61

$2.08 MX$36.33

-31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.84

$1.79 MX$31.29

-31.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.18

$2.18 MX$38.09

-39.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.10

$1.08 MX$18.84

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.19

$1.04 MX$18.15

-47.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.05

$3.97 MX$69.5

8.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 MYR 76.7

$10.20 MX$179

90.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 MYR 11.35

$1.73 MX$30.22

65.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MYR 11.33

$2.50 MX$43.71

14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.89

$0.52 MX$9.07

40.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.97 MYR 47.29

$26.97 MX$472

-55.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.59

$3.14 MX$55.0

-63.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 MYR 4.05

$2.40 MX$42.04

-57.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MYR 22.80

$3.09 MX$54.0

86.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.83

$1.27 MX$22.28

-63.78%

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

$35.9K MYR 141.7K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

16.14%

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

$31.7K MYR 125.2K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

35.93%

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

$43.85 MYR 173

$82.0 MX$1,435

-46.53%

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

$8.89 MYR 35.12

$22.45 MX$393

-60.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.14 MYR 115

$29.66 MX$519

-1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 MYR 145

$51.9 MX$908

-29.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.80 MYR 22.90

$18.67 MX$327

-68.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MYR 19.50

$4.97 MX$87.0

-0.60%

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

$188 MYR 743

$198 MX$3,462

-4.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,026 MYR 27.8K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

33.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MYR 237

$36.34 MX$636

64.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.76 MYR 110

$40.05 MX$701

-30.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 MYR 289

$79.9 MX$1,398

-8.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.4 MYR 203

$88.9 MX$1,555

-42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MYR 1,522

$963 MX$16.9K

-59.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 MYR 1,051

$465 MX$8,133

-42.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MYR 2,524

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-59.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MYR 1,871

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-60.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,551 MYR 6,126

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-60.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 MYR 3,065

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-87.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$376 MYR 1,484

$720 MX$12.6K

-47.83%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Labuan and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 92% 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: $24.00 in Labuan vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $251 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 92% 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: $385 in Labuan versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $188 in Labuan versus $198 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 $893 in Labuan versus $1,287 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 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.