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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $846 in Butterworth, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,306 in Butterworth, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,766 in Butterworth, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 49% more than Butterworth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Butterworth are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Butterworth 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.08 MYR 12.58

280.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$20.93 MYR 85.5

100.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.68 MYR 19.11

124.57%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.85 MYR 11.65

25.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$0.72 MYR 2.96

109.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.34 MYR 1.38

170.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$4.29 MYR 17.53

-31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$4.35 MYR 17.78

1.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.80 MYR 7.36

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$1.03 MYR 4.21

82.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-6.59%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$2.12 MYR 8.66

23.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$14.62 MYR 59.7

-43.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.71 MYR 19.25

77.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.92 MYR 40.52

9.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$2.80 MYR 11.43

-3.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.47 MYR 6.00

2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$2.68 MYR 10.96

-30.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$1.52 MYR 6.21

44.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$1.14 MYR 4.67

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$1.17 MYR 4.77

90.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$0.90 MYR 3.68

18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.45 MYR 1.85

142.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$4.37 MYR 17.83

-4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$18.14 MYR 74.1

-42.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$2.70 MYR 11.02

-38.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$3.47 MYR 14.19

-24.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$11.55 MYR 47.16

126.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.68 MYR 2.77

352.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$0.50 MYR 2.03

380.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$4.62 MYR 18.86

-32.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$0.49 MYR 2.01

167.35%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$33.5K MYR 136.8K

-11.03%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$27.6K MYR 112.5K

-15.37%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$39.20 MYR 160

107.35%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$10.29 MYR 42.00

119.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$25.61 MYR 105

17.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$36.45 MYR 149

45.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$5.96 MYR 24.33

208.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$4.93 MYR 20.13

-0.20%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$239 MYR 975

-15.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$6,139 MYR 25.1K

-15.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$54.5 MYR 222

-34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$29.06 MYR 119

38.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$60.7 MYR 248

31.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$52.9 MYR 216

63.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$381 MYR 1,556

156.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$274 MYR 1,118

71.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$648 MYR 2,646

154.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$475 MYR 1,940

153.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$2,072 MYR 8,459

90.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$1,150 MYR 4,698

474.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.16

174.52%

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 Butterworth: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $381 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Butterworth. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $253 in Butterworth – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $846 in Butterworth – roughly 49% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,268 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $846 in Butterworth. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 126% 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 $846, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $846 in Butterworth to $1,260 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.