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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $802 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,238 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,674 in Bintulu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 58% more expensive than Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bintulu 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.83 MYR 15.52

209.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$17.48 MYR 70.9

145.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.73 MYR 23.24

85.86%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.78 MYR 11.27

24.10%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.67 MYR 2.71

123.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.37 MYR 1.50

156.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.79 MYR 11.33

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.84 MYR 19.65

-4.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.72 MYR 6.97

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.32 MYR 5.35

40.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.31 MYR 5.30

22.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.18 MYR 8.84

18.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$16.62 MYR 67.4

-50.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.52 MYR 14.26

137.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.80 MYR 23.52

83.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.63 MYR 6.60

61.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.92 MYR 3.74

61.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.63 MYR 6.60

17.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.07 MYR 4.32

95.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.53 MYR 2.13

250.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.15 MYR 4.65

96.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.67 MYR 2.73

58.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.43 MYR 1.73

153.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.90 MYR 15.83

6.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$19.51 MYR 79.1

-46.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.81 MYR 11.40

-38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.86 MYR 7.53

40.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.20 MYR 4.86

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$15.64 MYR 63.4

72.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.91 MYR 3.69

243.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.88 MYR 3.55

185.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.33 MYR 9.43

35.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.51 MYR 2.05

149.02%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$42.4K MYR 171.9K

-28.35%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$38.0K MYR 154.1K

-37.99%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$59.1 MYR 240

40.42%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.97 MYR 36.37

153.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$29.31 MYR 119

0.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$66.4 MYR 269

-23.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$5.88 MYR 23.83

211.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.14 MYR 16.79

19.08%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$121 MYR 491

63.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,172 MYR 29.1K

-26.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$62.3 MYR 253

-40.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$34.27 MYR 139

16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$75.5 MYR 306

5.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$87.8 MYR 356

1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$212 MYR 859

351.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$151 MYR 611

216.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$461 MYR 1,870

256.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$318 MYR 1,291

284.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,756 MYR 7,122

123.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,159 MYR 4,701

457.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$611 MYR 2,478

9.17%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $212 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 9% 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 $17.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $223 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 58% 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 9% 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 $212 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $802 in Bintulu – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 72% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $802 in Bintulu versus $1,271 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 $802 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 58% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.