Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ambon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $588 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
Learn more

Ambon Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ambon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ambon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $588 in Ambon.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Ambon $588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $995 in Ambon.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ambon $995

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,401 in Ambon.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Ambon $1,401

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 104% more expensive than in Ambon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Ambon 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

861.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$823

$14.28 Rp 257.7K

206.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

$3.83 Rp 69.1K

207.83%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

154.36%

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

$1.30 MX$24.36

$0.46 Rp 8,330

182.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.65

$0.28 Rp 4,973

196.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

41.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.46 Rp 62.5K

42.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

$1.03 Rp 18.6K

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.23

$0.98 Rp 17.6K

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

86.08%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.89

$1.37 Rp 24.7K

82.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$7.18 Rp 129.6K

1.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

178.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$7.47 Rp 134.8K

72.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

$2.18 Rp 39.3K

33.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

$1.31 Rp 23.6K

5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

$1.60 Rp 28.8K

55.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

63.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

$1.28 Rp 23.0K

57.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

$1.90 Rp 34.3K

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

42.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

$0.40 Rp 7,166

210.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

94.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$20.54 Rp 370.8K

-52.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

$1.81 Rp 32.7K

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

$2.92 Rp 52.8K

-5.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

$0.25 Rp 4,532

104.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

$11.45 Rp 206.6K

139.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

$0.50 Rp 9,106

852.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

$0.29 Rp 5,323

1020.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$2.71 Rp 48.8K

98.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

91.25%

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

$23.7K Rp 427.8M

-10.49%

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

$35.6K Rp 641.9M

-34.59%

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

$55.9 Rp 1.0M

49.33%

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

$23.19 MX$435

$5.62 Rp 101.5K

312.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$519

$19.16 Rp 345.8K

44.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,060

$18.90 Rp 341.0K

198.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

$7.07 Rp 127.5K

298.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

254.61%

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

$207 MX$3,889

$94.9 Rp 1.7M

118.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

$8,975 Rp 162.0M

-41.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

$43.58 Rp 786.5K

-0.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

$27.84 Rp 502.4K

52.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

$75.7 Rp 1.4M

-3.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$211 Rp 3.8M

371.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

$124 Rp 2.2M

207.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

$612 Rp 11.0M

173.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$420 Rp 7.6M

157.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

$1,295 Rp 23.4M

201.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

$756 Rp 13.7M

711.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$121 Rp 2.2M

585.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.45

21.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ambon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Ambon

$124 21.2% 67.5% $258

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Ambon

$190 32.3% 26.3% $68

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Ambon

$59 10.1% 70.4% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Ambon

$81 13.7% 39.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Ambon

$98 16.7% 11.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Ambon

$22 3.7% 67.3% $45

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ambon

$14 2.5% 71.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $211 in Ambon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 6.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $14 in Ambon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $190 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Ambon

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

275,888

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,271 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ambon 15,760 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ambon

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

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

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 6.9 times higher, 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $211 in Ambon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $588 in Ambon – Ambon is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $588 in Ambon versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.