Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makassar and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $632 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Makassar
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Makassar Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Makassar

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$632

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makassar and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Makassar and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $632 in Makassar versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Makassar $632
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $977 in Makassar versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Makassar $977
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,322 in Makassar versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Makassar $1,322
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Makassar costs roughly 48% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makassar 53% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.62 Rp 29.1K

$10.86 MX$201

-85.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.67 Rp 156.1K

$44.21 MX$817

-80.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$11.76 MX$217

-72.53%

Cappuccino

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$3.68 MX$68.0

-47.83%

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

$0.47 Rp 8,457

$1.34 MX$24.79

-64.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 6,013

$0.82 MX$15.24

-59.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$3.06 MX$56.6

-19.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

$4.94 MX$91.2

-36.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 Rp 27.6K

$1.47 MX$27.17

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 Rp 17.5K

$2.22 MX$40.95

-56.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.57 Rp 10.3K

$1.48 MX$27.32

-61.49%

Eggs

$1.54 Rp 27.7K

$2.49 MX$45.99

-38.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.42 Rp 115.5K

$7.52 MX$139

-14.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 Rp 61.6K

$7.96 MX$147

-57.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.23 Rp 94.2K

$12.57 MX$232

-58.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$2.78 MX$51.3

-11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.6K

$1.43 MX$26.37

-8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.3K

$2.62 MX$48.37

-25.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.6K

$2.14 MX$39.49

-41.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

$2.02 MX$37.38

-36.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

$1.99 MX$36.74

-25.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$1.14 MX$21.01

-35.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 6,988

$1.20 MX$22.18

-67.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 Rp 46.9K

$4.26 MX$78.7

-38.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.14 Rp 398.6K

$10.02 MX$185

120.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

$1.54 MX$28.41

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$2.66 MX$49.17

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,851

$0.53 MX$9.73

-49.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.18 Rp 75.2K

$27.51 MX$508

-84.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 8,925

$4.90 MX$90.6

-89.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,710

$3.43 MX$63.5

-89.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 Rp 48.0K

$5.38 MX$99.4

-50.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.45 MX$26.76

-44.83%

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

$23.8K Rp 428.5M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

12.52%

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

$31.9K Rp 574.3M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

38.61%

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

$90.3 Rp 1.6M

$85.4 MX$1,577

5.73%

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

$2.61 Rp 46.9K

$23.46 MX$434

-88.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.29 Rp 455.3K

$28.43 MX$525

-11.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.58 Rp 388.5K

$62.2 MX$1,149

-65.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.40 Rp 151.1K

$28.68 MX$530

-70.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.36 Rp 60.5K

$5.10 MX$94.3

-34.12%

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

$94.2 Rp 1.7M

$201 MX$3,715

-53.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,803 Rp 68.5M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

-3.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.97 Rp 485.5K

$44.39 MX$820

-39.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.43 Rp 421.7K

$41.35 MX$764

-43.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

$72.7 MX$1,344

3.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.92 Rp 718.5K

$89.6 MX$1,656

-55.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 Rp 4.0M

$979 MX$18.1K

-77.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 Rp 2.6M

$373 MX$6,887

-61.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 Rp 9.5M

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-68.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 Rp 6.6M

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-66.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 Rp 20.7M

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-70.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$794 Rp 14.3M

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-87.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 Rp 3.8M

$738 MX$13.6K

-71.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

11.45

-17.38%

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

Last update for Makassar: October 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Makassar

$193 30.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 33.7% $65

Accommodation & Living

Makassar

$143 22.6%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 161% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makassar

$118 18.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 16.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Makassar

$74 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 50.1% $37

Eating Out

Makassar

$67 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 197% $133

Sport & Entertainment

Makassar

$28 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 156% $44

Getting Around

Makassar

$7.6 1.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 579% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Makassar and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 245% 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: $9.00 in Makassar vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $258 per month, with Makassar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Makassar

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

07:33 7:33 AM

13 h behind Makassar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,427,619

149,923

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makassar Playa del Carmen 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Makassar
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 91% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makassar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 245% 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: $224 in Makassar versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 558% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $94.2 in Makassar versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $632 in Makassar versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makassar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $632 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makassar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.