Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
59

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

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Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medan 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 Medan and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Medan versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Medan $613
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Medan versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Medan $940
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,266 in Medan versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Medan $1,266
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Medan costs roughly 49% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medan 55% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$10.76 MX$199

-84.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$43.03 MX$795

-80.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$11.79 MX$218

-74.98%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$3.87 MX$71.4

-60.47%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$1.37 MX$25.29

-74.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.84 MX$15.44

-70.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$3.10 MX$57.3

-46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$5.07 MX$93.6

-29.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.44 MX$26.55

-22.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.23 MX$41.23

-47.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.47 MX$27.17

-44.90%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$2.53 MX$46.71

-47.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$7.30 MX$135

11.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$7.86 MX$145

-54.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$12.79 MX$236

-50.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$2.90 MX$53.6

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.44 MX$26.53

-27.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$2.55 MX$47.07

-44.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$2.06 MX$38.03

-54.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$2.00 MX$36.97

-58.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$2.01 MX$37.07

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$1.19 MX$22.02

-68.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$1.26 MX$23.23

-65.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$4.40 MX$81.4

-34.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$9.59 MX$177

63.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$1.59 MX$29.41

15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$2.81 MX$51.9

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.57 MX$10.47

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$27.82 MX$514

-78.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$4.98 MX$92.1

-89.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$3.50 MX$64.6

-94.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$1.47 MX$27.08

-45.58%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

17.56%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

34.75%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$84.2 MX$1,556

0.75%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$23.99 MX$443

-86.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$29.02 MX$536

-18.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$63.0 MX$1,164

-73.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$29.14 MX$539

-71.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$4.94 MX$91.3

-33.40%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$204 MX$3,763

-45.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$3,941 MX$72.8K

-57.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$43.60 MX$806

24.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$43.12 MX$797

-10.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$75.8 MX$1,400

42.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$88.6 MX$1,637

25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-76.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$374 MX$6,911

-76.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-71.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-80.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-70.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-90.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$754 MX$13.9K

-71.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

11.45

-19.21%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 42.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 19.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 23% $26

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 317% $284

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 245% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 210% $49

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 521% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Medan and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 250% 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: $8.00 in Medan vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $258 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

03:42 3:42 AM

12 h behind Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

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 19, 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 19, 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

Medan Playa del Carmen 17,250 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medan
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

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

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 250% 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: $233 in Medan versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 369% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $112 in Medan versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medan 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.

Expats usually find Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.