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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $634 in Bandung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $945 in Bandung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,257 in Bandung.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 100% more expensive than Bandung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bandung 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.26 Rp 22.6K

842.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$9.09 Rp 162.8K

371.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.30 Rp 59.2K

222.73%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

131.54%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.49 Rp 8,831

206.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.27 Rp 4,864

251.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.47 Rp 62.2K

-12.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

29.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

74.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.95 Rp 17.0K

69.47%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

61.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.91 Rp 159.6K

-7.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.12 Rp 55.9K

168.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.01 Rp 143.6K

33.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.27 Rp 40.7K

15.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.29 Rp 23.2K

15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

10.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.60 Rp 28.6K

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

32.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.68 Rp 48.1K

-15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

19.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.45 Rp 8,114

142.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.48 Rp 44.5K

67.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$22.04 Rp 394.9K

-52.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.09 Rp 37.4K

-17.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.42 Rp 61.4K

-23.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.32 Rp 5,785

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.57 Rp 189.4K

154.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

340.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

248.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.48 Rp 44.4K

27.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

62.82%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$24.3K Rp 435.6M

24.91%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.5K Rp 456.5M

-7.51%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$44.19 Rp 791.6K

87.83%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.66 Rp 83.6K

387.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$22.53 Rp 403.7K

30.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.16 Rp 397.0K

130.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$6.60 Rp 118.2K

177.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.05 Rp 54.6K

61.64%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$92.8 Rp 1.7M

112.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,565 Rp 135.5M

-30.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$41.23 Rp 738.6K

-10.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$31.03 Rp 555.9K

28.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

35.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$63.9 Rp 1.1M

39.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$242 Rp 4.3M

295.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$156 Rp 2.8M

205.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$449 Rp 8.1M

266.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$246 Rp 4.4M

398.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$704 Rp 12.6M

456.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$305 Rp 5.5M

2017.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$280 Rp 5.0M

137.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bandung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $242 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 138% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $9.00 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $213 per month, with Bandung 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 Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 138% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $242 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $634 in Bandung versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $634 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bandung 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 Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.