Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Banda Aceh

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $319 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $319 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Banda Aceh $319

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $510 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Banda Aceh $510

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $701 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Banda Aceh $701

Playa del Carmen costs about 277% more than Banda Aceh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Banda Aceh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Banda Aceh 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

372.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$7.09 Rp 128.6K

517.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

251.94%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

210.66%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.38 Rp 6,876

242.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.21 Rp 3,801

295.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

30.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

-12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

158.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

81.48%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

61.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$8.47 Rp 153.7K

-13.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

229.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$6.46 Rp 117.2K

99.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

64.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

207.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

156.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

140.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

-43.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.40 Rp 7,239

210.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

73.86%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$33.04 Rp 599.4K

152.69%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$2.27 Rp 41.2K

921.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$23.59 Rp 428.0K

17.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$9.48 Rp 171.9K

495.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$13.23 Rp 239.9K

113.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$1,910 Rp 34.6M

173.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$27.71 Rp 502.6K

56.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

90.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$43.51 Rp 789.3K

67.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$27.47 Rp 498.3K

221.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Banda Aceh: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Banda Aceh

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Banda Aceh

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Banda Aceh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Banda Aceh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Banda Aceh

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $7 in Banda Aceh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $131 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🕒 Local time

19:42 7:42 PM

07:42 7:42 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

223,446

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Banda Aceh 17,090 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 277%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $479 in Banda Aceh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $7 in Banda Aceh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Banda Aceh, where all-in costs run around $319, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Banda Aceh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $319 in Banda Aceh to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.