Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Alor Setar Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Alor Setar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $912 in Alor Setar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,309 in Alor Setar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,707 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Alor Setar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Alor Setar are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Alor Setar 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.09 MYR 8.51

472.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$12.42 MYR 50.5

281.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.13 MYR 16.81

184.50%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.92 MYR 7.80

114.58%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.53 MYR 2.17

164.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.31 MYR 1.28

193.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.47 MYR 10.03

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.39 MYR 17.84

61.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.61 MYR 6.56

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.85 MYR 3.47

152.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.69 MYR 6.88

4.73%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.55 MYR 6.30

81.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.86 MYR 64.5

-41.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.98 MYR 20.24

85.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.04 MYR 40.85

25.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.45 MYR 9.96

20.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.26 MYR 5.11

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.35 MYR 9.55

-5.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.27 MYR 5.16

85.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.87 MYR 3.55

128.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.80 MYR 3.27

147.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.78 MYR 3.16

58.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.65 MYR 2.64

86.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.65 MYR 18.91

-1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$21.55 MYR 87.7

-51.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.42 MYR 9.85

-30.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.66 MYR 14.90

-24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.77 MYR 3.13

-22.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$12.49 MYR 50.8

137.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.21 MYR 4.91

333.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.51 MYR 2.09

615.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.70 MYR 27.25

-13.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.50 MYR 2.02

208.00%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$42.7K MYR 173.6K

-46.57%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$28.3K MYR 115.0K

-8.70%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$51.8 MYR 211

75.04%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$7.58 MYR 30.85

232.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$21.95 MYR 89.3

44.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$40.67 MYR 165

69.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$6.65 MYR 27.03

341.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.67 MYR 18.99

4.07%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$175 MYR 712

28.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$5,032 MYR 20.5K

-16.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$54.2 MYR 221

-12.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$35.61 MYR 145

22.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$74.1 MYR 301

8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$70.5 MYR 287

29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$427 MYR 1,735

154.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$336 MYR 1,367

21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$712 MYR 2,895

177.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$505 MYR 2,055

153.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,038 MYR 8,289

98.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,146 MYR 4,664

484.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,646 MYR 6,696

-53.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.43

158.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Alor Setar: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $427 in Alor Setar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 113% higher in Alor Setar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $12.00 in Alor Setar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $253 – making Alor Setar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Alor Setar, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,368 in Alor Setar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alor Setar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $175 in Alor Setar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alor Setar, where all-in costs run around $912, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Alor Setar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alor Setar costs $912 versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alor Setar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.