Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Metro, Lampung and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Metro, Lampung: $734 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Metro, Lampung, Indonesia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Metro, Lampung
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$734
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Metro, Lampung vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Metro, Lampung $734
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,159 per month in Metro, Lampung vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Metro, Lampung $1,159
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,583 per month in Metro, Lampung vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Metro, Lampung $1,583
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Metro, Lampung is about 39% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Metro, Lampung and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Metro, Lampung 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.79 Rp 50.6K
$10.92 MX$205
-74.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.35 Rp 296.3K
$43.37 MX$814
-62.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.26 Rp 59.1K
$11.78 MX$221
-72.33%
Cappuccino
$1.93 Rp 34.9K
$3.81 MX$71.5
-49.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 Rp 8,101
$1.28 MX$24.07
-64.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 Rp 4,720
$0.78 MX$14.70
-66.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 Rp 44.0K
$3.17 MX$59.5
-23.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 Rp 71.1K
$4.93 MX$92.7
-20.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 Rp 24.3K
$1.41 MX$26.40
-4.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.06 Rp 19.2K
$2.22 MX$41.62
-52.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
$1.42 MX$26.61
-40.85%
Eggs
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$2.52 MX$47.36
-26.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.24 Rp 167.4K
$7.26 MX$136
27.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.04 Rp 55.0K
$7.70 MX$144
-60.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.62 Rp 138.2K
$12.69 MX$238
-39.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 Rp 49.7K
$2.78 MX$52.3
-1.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 Rp 24.6K
$1.37 MX$25.68
-0.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 Rp 45.1K
$2.55 MX$47.89
-2.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 Rp 24.2K
$2.12 MX$39.86
-36.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.37 Rp 24.9K
$1.94 MX$36.39
-29.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 Rp 37.4K
$1.89 MX$35.41
9.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 Rp 16.3K
$1.15 MX$21.53
-21.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,396
$1.18 MX$22.13
-61.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.70 Rp 48.9K
$4.30 MX$80.6
-37.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.20 Rp 384.2K
$9.95 MX$187
113.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 Rp 37.2K
$1.58 MX$29.73
29.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 54.4K
$2.67 MX$50.1
12.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,335
$0.55 MX$10.39
-56.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.75 Rp 213.0K
$26.62 MX$500
-55.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 Rp 8,872
$4.97 MX$93.3
-90.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 Rp 5,708
$3.33 MX$62.5
-90.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.39 Rp 61.4K
$5.36 MX$101
-36.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 Rp 14.6K
$1.44 MX$27.11
-44.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K Rp 500.6M
$20.7K MX$388.0K
33.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K Rp 589.5M
$23.5K MX$440.5K
38.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$107 Rp 1.9M
$84.8 MX$1,592
26.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.13 Rp 111.1K
$23.41 MX$439
-73.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69 Rp 338.6K
$28.66 MX$538
-34.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.56 Rp 281.9K
$57.1 MX$1,071
-72.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.91 Rp 143.3K
$28.91 MX$543
-72.64%
Cinema Ticket
$3.09 Rp 56.1K
$5.14 MX$96.5
-39.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$94.2 Rp 1.7M
$207 MX$3,878
-54.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,017 Rp 145.3M
$3,927 MX$73.7K
104.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.7 Rp 1.0M
$43.35 MX$814
33.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.04 Rp 508.0K
$41.44 MX$778
-32.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.3 Rp 1.3M
$74.2 MX$1,393
-2.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 Rp 1.9M
$89.3 MX$1,676
18.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$201 Rp 3.6M
$980 MX$18.4K
-79.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$154 Rp 2.8M
$381 MX$7,150
-59.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$554 Rp 10.0M
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-67.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$393 Rp 7.1M
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-63.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,135 Rp 20.6M
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-71.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$879 Rp 15.9M
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-85.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Metro, Lampung
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
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 Metro, Lampung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Metro, Lampung
$215
Playa del Carmen
$255 18.4% $40
Accommodation & Living
Metro, Lampung
$154
Playa del Carmen
$381 147% $227
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Metro, Lampung
$132
Playa del Carmen
$137 3.8% $5.1
Clothing & Footwear
Metro, Lampung
$119
Playa del Carmen
$112 5.8% $6.9
Eating Out
Metro, Lampung
$78
Playa del Carmen
$202 159% $124
Sport & Entertainment
Metro, Lampung
$22
Playa del Carmen
$67 210% $46
Getting Around
Metro, Lampung
$15
Playa del Carmen
$50 242% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $201 in Metro, Lampung versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Metro, Lampung versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $255 – making Metro, Lampung the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Metro, Lampung
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
09:10 9:10 AM
21:10 9:10 PM
12 h behind Metro, Lampung
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,361
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Metro, Lampung Playa del Carmen 17,830 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Metro, Lampung
  • 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
Metro, Lampung vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Metro, Lampung cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Metro, Lampung and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Metro, Lampung, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $94 per month in Metro, Lampung and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Metro, Lampung and in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Metro, Lampung or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Metro, Lampung, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Metro, Lampung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Metro, Lampung or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Metro, Lampung – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Metro, Lampung is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Metro, Lampung vs other spots: cost of living compared

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