Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $809 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
59

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

Jump to prices

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$809

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Miri versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Miri $809
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,235 in Miri versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Miri $1,235
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Miri versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Miri $1,661
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Miri costs roughly 33% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miri 40% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.57

$10.76 MX$199

-66.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.29 MYR 50.1

$43.03 MX$795

-71.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.66

$11.79 MX$218

-61.15%

Cappuccino

$2.39 MYR 9.74

$3.87 MX$71.4

-38.24%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.37 MX$25.29

-39.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.23

$0.84 MX$15.44

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 MYR 11.94

$3.10 MX$57.3

-5.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MYR 15.63

$5.07 MX$93.6

-24.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MYR 5.76

$1.44 MX$26.55

-2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 MYR 7.62

$2.23 MX$41.23

-16.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$1.47 MX$27.17

-36.05%

Eggs

$3.56 MYR 14.53

$2.53 MX$46.71

40.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 MYR 19.74

$7.86 MX$145

-38.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 MYR 62.2

$12.79 MX$236

19.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.09

$1.44 MX$26.53

37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$1.26 MX$23.23

-69.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MYR 17.20

$4.40 MX$81.4

-4.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.34 MYR 78.9

$9.59 MX$177

101.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.31

$1.59 MX$29.41

89.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 MYR 9.77

$2.81 MX$51.9

-14.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MYR 2.04

$0.57 MX$10.47

-12.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.38 MYR 58.7

$27.82 MX$514

-48.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.93

$4.98 MX$92.1

-75.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MYR 2.36

$3.50 MX$64.6

-83.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 MYR 25.38

$5.40 MX$99.8

15.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$1.47 MX$27.08

-53.74%

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

$49.8K MYR 203.1K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

137.21%

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

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

36.71%

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

$49.34 MYR 201

$84.2 MX$1,556

-41.41%

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

$9.96 MYR 40.64

$23.99 MX$443

-58.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.87 MYR 134

$29.02 MX$536

13.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.98 MYR 118

$63.0 MX$1,164

-53.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.10 MYR 24.88

$29.14 MX$539

-79.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$4.94 MX$91.3

-9.11%

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

$98.5 MYR 402

$204 MX$3,763

-51.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,442 MYR 26.3K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

63.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.57 MYR 182

$43.60 MX$806

2.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.03 MYR 93.9

$43.12 MX$797

-46.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 MYR 224

$75.8 MX$1,400

-27.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.84 MYR 175

$88.6 MX$1,637

-51.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 MYR 1,377

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-66.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 MYR 1,183

$374 MX$6,911

-22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 MYR 2,423

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-65.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 MYR 2,393

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-46.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,212 MYR 4,946

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-69.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 MYR 2,785

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-88.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$683 MYR 2,787

$754 MX$13.9K

-9.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

11.45

-64.02%

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

Last update for Miri: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Miri

$290 35.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 29% $84

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$196 * 24.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 32% $63

Eating Out

Miri

$98 12.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 107% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$92 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 48.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$74 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 51.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$38 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 91.9% $35

Getting Around

Miri

$20 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 157% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $338 in Miri and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 10% 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: $12.00 in Miri vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $258 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

22:25 10:25 PM

13 h behind Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

149,923

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 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 MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Miri Playa del Carmen 16,410 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Miri
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

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

Miri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $338 in Miri versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Miri – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $809 per month in Miri versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $809 in Miri versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Miri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Miri 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, Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.