Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Miri versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,091 in Miri versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,499 in Miri versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Miri costs roughly 47% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miri 49% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.22 MYR 12.78

$11.73 MX$203

-72.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.73 MYR 46.49

$41.62 MX$720

-71.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 MYR 15.94

$10.64 MX$184

-62.22%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MYR 10.61

$3.52 MX$60.9

-23.86%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.76

$1.51 MX$26.12

-53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.97 MX$16.84

-62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 MYR 11.45

$2.95 MX$51.0

-2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MYR 14.66

$4.45 MX$77.0

-16.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MYR 5.37

$1.38 MX$23.93

-2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 MYR 5.73

$1.89 MX$32.72

-23.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 MYR 3.18

$1.64 MX$28.32

-51.22%

Eggs

$3.27 MYR 12.97

$2.51 MX$43.34

30.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 MYR 43.64

$8.34 MX$144

32.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 MYR 19.05

$8.34 MX$144

-42.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.04 MYR 47.72

$10.73 MX$186

12.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MYR 12.53

$2.60 MX$45.04

21.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.73

$1.46 MX$25.20

-18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 8.97

$1.90 MX$32.87

18.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.49

$2.08 MX$35.91

-33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 MYR 2.35

$1.78 MX$30.71

-66.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 MYR 3.57

$2.19 MX$37.80

-58.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 MYR 3.61

$1.04 MX$17.99

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.33

$1.08 MX$18.62

-69.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 16.77

$4.08 MX$70.6

3.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.47 MYR 81.2

$10.32 MX$178

98.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.02

$1.71 MX$29.61

77.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MYR 8.98

$2.58 MX$44.54

-12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 MYR 5.41

$0.51 MX$8.81

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.72 MYR 34.59

$26.46 MX$458

-67.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.77

$3.26 MX$56.4

-63.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 MYR 2.97

$2.49 MX$43.09

-69.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 MYR 22.85

$3.25 MX$56.2

77.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.83

$1.31 MX$22.61

-64.89%

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

$57.9K MYR 229.7K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

91.36%

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

$28.2K MYR 111.8K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

20.35%

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

$30.45 MYR 121

$82.9 MX$1,433

-63.26%

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

$9.34 MYR 37.04

$22.22 MX$384

-57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.20 MYR 128

$29.34 MX$507

9.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.52 MYR 113

$51.6 MX$893

-44.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.75 MYR 22.79

$18.32 MX$317

-68.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.17 MYR 16.53

$5.07 MX$87.6

-17.75%

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

$97.6 MYR 387

$201 MX$3,473

-51.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,240 MYR 20.8K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

0.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.09 MYR 139

$36.92 MX$639

-4.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.06 MYR 75.6

$39.79 MX$688

-52.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 MYR 178

$78.5 MX$1,357

-42.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.98 MYR 127

$87.1 MX$1,506

-63.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,231

$973 MX$16.8K

-68.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 MYR 656

$468 MX$8,090

-64.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 MYR 1,961

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-69.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MYR 1,501

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-68.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,286 MYR 5,100

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-67.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$697 MYR 2,765

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-89.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$767 MYR 3,041

$664 MX$11.5K

15.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

11.42

-68.21%

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

Last update for Miri: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $311 in Miri and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miri pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Miri vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $249 per month, with Miri 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

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

Miri is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Miri pays 16% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $311 in Miri versus $973 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $682 per month in Miri versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $682 in Miri versus $1,297 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 90% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.