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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $843 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,334 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,824 in Bintulu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 50% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Bintulu 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.89 MYR 15.88

198.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$18.53 MYR 75.6

154.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.78 MYR 23.57

105.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.96 MYR 12.09

34.46%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.64 MYR 2.62

123.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.37 MYR 1.53

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.93 MYR 11.94

8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.13 MYR 20.93

32.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.37 MYR 5.61

60.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.32 MYR 5.39

29.55%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.18 MYR 8.90

25.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$16.92 MYR 69.0

-43.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.46 MYR 14.12

160.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$5.93 MYR 24.20

116.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.67 MYR 6.82

73.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.01 MYR 4.11

48.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.67 MYR 6.82

28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.16 MYR 4.75

94.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.52 MYR 2.10

280.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.20 MYR 4.89

65.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.76 MYR 3.09

61.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.44 MYR 1.81

172.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$4.20 MYR 17.13

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$19.38 MYR 79.1

-46.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.90 MYR 11.85

-44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.93 MYR 7.87

49.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$16.15 MYR 65.9

78.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.00 MYR 4.07

439.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.89 MYR 3.64

319.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$2.40 MYR 9.77

140.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.59 MYR 2.40

161.02%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$45.0K MYR 183.6K

-49.90%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$38.8K MYR 158.5K

-32.92%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$59.7 MYR 244

53.07%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$31.36 MYR 128

-19.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$31.26 MYR 128

-0.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$68.8 MYR 281

-2.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$12.31 MYR 50.2

136.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.47 MYR 18.22

8.72%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$129 MYR 528

72.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,469 MYR 30.5K

-43.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$66.1 MYR 270

-28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$35.14 MYR 143

26.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$79.7 MYR 325

0.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$91.7 MYR 374

1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$219 MYR 892

386.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$155 MYR 632

151.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$487 MYR 1,988

340.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$338 MYR 1,378

276.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,724 MYR 7,035

132.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,139 MYR 4,646

470.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$603 MYR 2,458

25.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.5

154.44%

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 Bintulu: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $219 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 26% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $232 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 50% 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.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $219 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $843 in Bintulu – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 78% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $843 in Bintulu versus $1,266 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 $843 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 50% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.