Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bukit Mertajam Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bukit Mertajam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $661 in Bukit Mertajam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 in Bukit Mertajam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,786 in Bukit Mertajam.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 92% more expensive than Bukit Mertajam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bukit Mertajam 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.91 MYR 7.76

521.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$19.96 MYR 80.9

114.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.70 MYR 15.02

187.84%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.23 MYR 9.03

54.71%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.74 MYR 3.02

102.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.34 MYR 1.37

179.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.14 MYR 12.74

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.70 MYR 19.04

-1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.67 MYR 6.77

-17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.09 MYR 4.40

69.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.56 MYR 2.29

187.50%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.89 MYR 7.68

37.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$22.75 MYR 92.3

-63.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.04 MYR 20.42

66.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.43 MYR 42.28

2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.88 MYR 15.75

-32.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.76 MYR 7.13

-15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.48 MYR 14.10

-44.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.66 MYR 10.77

-21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.76 MYR 7.12

5.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.00 MYR 4.04

126.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.11 MYR 4.52

-4.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.36 MYR 1.47

202.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.33 MYR 17.57

-4.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.90 MYR 76.7

-45.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$4.28 MYR 17.34

-59.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.61 MYR 10.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.69 MYR 2.78

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$11.80 MYR 47.83

128.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.20 MYR 4.87

160.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.13 MYR 4.59

122.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.25 MYR 17.25

-25.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.46 MYR 1.88

176.09%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$44.2K MYR 179.3K

-31.29%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.2K MYR 126.7K

-24.57%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$26.68 MYR 108

211.09%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.95 MYR 40.36

128.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.90 MYR 117

1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.31 MYR 151

36.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$5.92 MYR 23.99

209.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.16 MYR 16.85

18.51%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$119 MYR 483

65.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,260 MYR 17.3K

23.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$11.98 MYR 48.58

208.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$63.2 MYR 256

-36.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$23.23 MYR 94.2

244.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.2 MYR 317

14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$391 MYR 1,584

144.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$58.8 MYR 238

711.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$656 MYR 2,662

150.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$477 MYR 1,936

156.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$990 MYR 4,016

-32.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.96

188.38%

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 Bukit Mertajam: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $391 in Bukit Mertajam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bukit Mertajam pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Bukit Mertajam. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $300, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bukit Mertajam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Bukit Mertajam differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $661 including rent). Bukit Mertajam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bukit Mertajam earns 48% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $391 in Bukit Mertajam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $661 in Bukit Mertajam – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $661 in Bukit Mertajam versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bukit Mertajam but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bukit Mertajam 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bukit Mertajam 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 Bukit Mertajam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.