Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bandar Lampung Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bandar Lampung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $587 in Bandar Lampung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $938 in Bandar Lampung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,290 in Bandar Lampung.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 116% more expensive than in Bandar Lampung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bandar Lampung 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$1.58 Rp 27.9K

634.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$10.33 Rp 182.9K

356.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$2.62 Rp 46.4K

353.44%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$0.90 Rp 15.9K

342.22%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.27 Rp 4,828

429.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.24 Rp 4,261

241.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

91.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.53 Rp 44.9K

168.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.00 Rp 17.8K

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.15 Rp 20.3K

91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.67 Rp 11.8K

155.22%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.52 Rp 26.8K

80.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.50 Rp 168.2K

0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.16 Rp 55.9K

185.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.93 Rp 140.4K

61.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.96 Rp 34.7K

47.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.12 Rp 19.8K

33.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.45 Rp 25.6K

48.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.34 Rp 23.6K

68.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.81 Rp 14.3K

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.51 Rp 26.8K

31.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.59 Rp 10.4K

108.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.41 Rp 7,244

192.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.97 Rp 34.9K

130.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$21.87 Rp 387.2K

-52.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.45 Rp 25.6K

11.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.21 Rp 56.8K

-10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.24 Rp 4,289

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.49 Rp 8,697

1000.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.33 Rp 5,773

1030.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$3.43 Rp 60.7K

68.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.74 Rp 13.2K

108.11%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$23.0K Rp 407.0M

-1.90%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$22.6K Rp 400.9M

15.09%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$39.64 Rp 702.0K

130.52%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$6.13 Rp 108.5K

311.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$11.36 Rp 201.2K

175.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$19.81 Rp 350.8K

239.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$8.34 Rp 147.7K

249.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$2.91 Rp 51.4K

67.01%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$28.48 Rp 504.2K

685.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$8,167 Rp 144.6M

-48.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$16.84 Rp 298.1K

179.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$29.06 Rp 514.5K

52.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$73.2 Rp 1.3M

9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$106 Rp 1.9M

-12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$232 Rp 4.1M

358.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$159 Rp 2.8M

145.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$570 Rp 10.1M

277.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$367 Rp 6.5M

246.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,168 Rp 20.7M

242.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$672 Rp 11.9M

868.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.46

21.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bandar Lampung: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $232 in Bandar Lampung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $10.00 in Bandar Lampung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $197 per month, with Bandar Lampung 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

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

Bandar Lampung wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandar Lampung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $881 in Bandar Lampung to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $232 in Bandar Lampung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.48 in Bandar Lampung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandar Lampung – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $587 in Bandar Lampung versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandar Lampung but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bandar Lampung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandar Lampung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $587 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandar Lampung hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bandar Lampung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.