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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $919 in Butterworth, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,372 in Butterworth, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,825 in Butterworth, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 38% more than Butterworth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Butterworth are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Butterworth 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$3.59 MYR 14.70

223.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$20.01 MYR 81.9

135.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$4.59 MYR 18.79

158.82%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.97 MYR 12.16

34.01%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.78 MYR 3.21

83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.37 MYR 1.50

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$4.26 MYR 17.43

-25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.30 MYR 17.59

57.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.20 MYR 9.01

-23.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.05 MYR 4.31

109.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.69 MYR 6.91

1.18%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.22 MYR 9.09

23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$13.33 MYR 54.6

-28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.44 MYR 18.16

102.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$8.72 MYR 35.69

46.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.80 MYR 11.45

3.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.66 MYR 6.80

-9.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.36 MYR 9.65

-8.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.42 MYR 5.79

59.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.11 MYR 4.54

78.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.14 MYR 4.68

74.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.11 MYR 4.53

10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.54 MYR 2.21

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.44 MYR 18.16

2.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$19.28 MYR 78.9

-46.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.89 MYR 11.84

-43.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.03 MYR 16.49

-28.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.66 MYR 2.70

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$13.82 MYR 56.6

108.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.21 MYR 4.95

345.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.38 MYR 1.55

881.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$4.78 MYR 19.58

20.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.77 MYR 3.16

100.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$41.6K MYR 170.4K

-45.82%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$35.2K MYR 144.2K

-26.05%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$37.38 MYR 153

144.46%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$9.18 MYR 37.59

174.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$25.57 MYR 105

22.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$35.34 MYR 145

90.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$6.77 MYR 27.70

329.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$5.29 MYR 21.64

-8.13%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$299 MYR 1,222

-25.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

-60.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$61.3 MYR 251

-23.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$35.44 MYR 145

24.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$82.7 MYR 339

-3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$69.7 MYR 285

32.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$418 MYR 1,712

154.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$352 MYR 1,440

10.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$738 MYR 3,020

191.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$494 MYR 2,021

157.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,040 MYR 8,351

96.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,102 MYR 4,510

490.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.2

172.62%

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 Butterworth: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $418 in Butterworth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Butterworth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $255 – making Butterworth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Butterworth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $919 in Butterworth – roughly 38% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,378 in Butterworth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Butterworth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $919 in Butterworth. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 108% less in Butterworth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Butterworth, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Butterworth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $919 in Butterworth to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Butterworth. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.