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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $796 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,228 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,661 in Bintulu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 58% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$203

$3.83 MYR 15.63

206.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$17.41 MYR 71.1

140.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.52 MYR 22.53

90.40%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.79 MYR 11.38

28.67%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.66 MYR 2.71

128.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.39 MYR 1.60

135.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.84 MYR 11.61

4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$5.03 MYR 20.53

-12.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.37 MYR 5.58

37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.27 MYR 5.18

22.83%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.10 MYR 8.58

24.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$16.76 MYR 68.4

-50.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.47 MYR 14.18

140.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$5.63 MYR 22.97

92.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.62 MYR 6.62

67.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.92 MYR 3.74

64.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.60 MYR 6.54

16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.07 MYR 4.35

104.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.53 MYR 2.16

250.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.19 MYR 4.87

87.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.68 MYR 2.79

57.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.43 MYR 1.76

153.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.03 MYR 16.46

3.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$19.73 MYR 80.6

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.87 MYR 11.72

-42.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.93 MYR 7.87

35.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.20 MYR 4.92

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$15.40 MYR 62.9

69.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.98 MYR 4.00

214.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.93 MYR 3.80

158.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.32 MYR 9.46

34.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.55 MYR 2.25

138.18%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$42.9K MYR 175.0K

-30.45%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$37.0K MYR 151.2K

-37.01%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$57.3 MYR 234

41.83%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$9.36 MYR 38.21

141.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$29.91 MYR 122

0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$65.2 MYR 266

-18.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$5.96 MYR 24.33

208.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.19 MYR 17.10

17.42%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$121 MYR 493

66.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,017 MYR 28.7K

-26.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$61.6 MYR 251

-41.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$33.91 MYR 138

18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$76.4 MYR 312

4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$88.7 MYR 362

-2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$214 MYR 875

356.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$152 MYR 622

208.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$461 MYR 1,881

258.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$315 MYR 1,287

281.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,704 MYR 6,956

132.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,154 MYR 4,711

472.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$601 MYR 2,455

12.53%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $214 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $224 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.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $214 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $796 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 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $796 in Bintulu versus $1,260 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 $796 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.