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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $781 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,667 in Bintulu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Bintulu 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.71 MYR 14.66

221.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$17.73 MYR 70.0

141.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.67 MYR 22.40

86.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.80 MYR 11.07

29.29%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.62 MYR 2.44

137.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.39 MYR 1.55

141.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.80 MYR 11.05

10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.89 MYR 19.33

-8.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.74 MYR 6.88

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.38 MYR 5.45

36.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.32 MYR 5.21

23.48%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.11 MYR 8.34

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$16.62 MYR 65.7

-50.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.33 MYR 13.17

148.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$5.77 MYR 22.79

92.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.61 MYR 6.36

64.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.90 MYR 3.57

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.63 MYR 6.44

22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.11 MYR 4.38

87.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.49 MYR 1.95

265.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.20 MYR 4.76

81.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.73 MYR 2.88

47.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.42 MYR 1.66

147.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.08 MYR 16.12

-2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$19.12 MYR 75.5

-46.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.79 MYR 11.01

-37.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.91 MYR 7.53

30.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.21 MYR 4.79

-57.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$15.86 MYR 62.6

70.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.92 MYR 3.63

241.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.88 MYR 3.46

172.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.39 MYR 9.46

29.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.51 MYR 2.03

149.02%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$42.8K MYR 168.9K

-27.79%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$38.2K MYR 151.0K

-38.99%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$57.9 MYR 229

41.74%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.27 MYR 36.61

142.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$29.53 MYR 117

0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$65.7 MYR 259

-21.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$6.00 MYR 23.71

211.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.26 MYR 16.84

16.67%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$122 MYR 483

61.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,059 MYR 27.9K

-25.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$63.3 MYR 250

-42.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$33.69 MYR 133

18.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$76.8 MYR 303

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$89.5 MYR 353

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$213 MYR 843

351.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$151 MYR 597

207.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$467 MYR 1,845

241.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$316 MYR 1,248

282.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,831 MYR 7,234

115.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,198 MYR 4,732

438.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$639 MYR 2,525

12.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.5

153.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $213 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% 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 $18.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $222 per month, with Bintulu 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 Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $213 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $781 in Bintulu – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $781 in Bintulu versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bintulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $781 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bintulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bintulu 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 Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.