Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Binjai

For one person, living is cheaper in Binjai: $638 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Binjai
Learn more

Binjai Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Binjai

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $638 in Binjai.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Binjai $638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,029 in Binjai.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Binjai $1,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,421 in Binjai.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Binjai $1,421

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 89% more expensive than in Binjai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Binjai 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

506.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$15.06 Rp 273.8K

187.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$2.81 Rp 51.2K

319.22%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.33 Rp 24.2K

186.47%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$0.48 Rp 8,729

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.20 Rp 3,648

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.49 Rp 45.3K

27.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$3.12 Rp 56.7K

58.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.04 Rp 18.9K

35.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$0.94 Rp 17.1K

136.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

77.50%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

101.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.22 Rp 113.1K

16.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$3.15 Rp 57.3K

144.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$7.48 Rp 136.1K

69.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.43 Rp 44.2K

14.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$1.77 Rp 32.3K

44.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

69.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

38.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.96 Rp 35.6K

-3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

41.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.39 Rp 7,002

202.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$2.43 Rp 44.3K

76.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$21.59 Rp 392.5K

-53.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$2.01 Rp 36.6K

-21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$3.20 Rp 58.1K

-16.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.21 Rp 3,858

161.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$10.00 Rp 181.8K

166.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.47 Rp 8,531

957.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.36 Rp 6,528

825.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$3.18 Rp 57.8K

68.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$0.94 Rp 17.1K

53.19%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$20.3K Rp 369.9M

1.57%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$30.1K Rp 547.4M

-22.06%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

23.46%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$3.91 Rp 71.0K

498.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$18.11 Rp 329.3K

58.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$20.19 Rp 367.1K

182.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$8.73 Rp 158.8K

231.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$2.88 Rp 52.4K

78.47%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$105 Rp 1.9M

97.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$8,060 Rp 146.5M

-51.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$42.93 Rp 780.7K

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$27.03 Rp 491.5K

53.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$84.1 Rp 1.5M

-11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$204 Rp 3.7M

381.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$156 Rp 2.8M

143.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$495 Rp 9.0M

245.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$411 Rp 7.5M

161.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,207 Rp 21.9M

226.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$752 Rp 13.7M

718.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Binjai: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Binjai

$156 24.5% 59% $225

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Binjai

$194 30.4% 23.9% $61

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Binjai

$60 9.4% 70.2% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Binjai

$91 14.2% 33.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Binjai

$98 15.3% 12.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Binjai

$26 4.1% 61.4% $41

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Binjai

$13 2.1% 74% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $204 in Binjai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $15 in Binjai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $194 per month, with Binjai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Binjai

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

07:13 7:13 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

267,901

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,242 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Binjai 17,250 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Binjai

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 Binjai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binjai is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $956 in Binjai 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $204 in Binjai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $638 in Binjai – Binjai is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Binjai runs roughly 62% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $638 in Binjai versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Binjai but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Binjai 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 Binjai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.