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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $848 in Butterworth, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,302 in Butterworth, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,756 in Butterworth, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 50% 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 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.01 MYR 12.20

294.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.47 MYR 87.1

99.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.81 MYR 19.49

121.41%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.84 MYR 11.53

21.48%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.69 MYR 2.78

117.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.36 MYR 1.47

163.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$4.21 MYR 17.08

-28.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.34 MYR 17.60

6.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.89 MYR 7.68

-26.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.04 MYR 4.20

77.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.73 MYR 7.00

-6.94%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.12 MYR 8.59

22.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$14.32 MYR 58.1

-42.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.61 MYR 18.71

81.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.95 MYR 40.36

7.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.78 MYR 11.28

-5.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.44 MYR 5.83

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.62 MYR 10.61

-26.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.45 MYR 5.88

44.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.18 MYR 4.80

57.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.21 MYR 4.92

86.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.95 MYR 3.84

11.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.45 MYR 1.83

142.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.25 MYR 17.25

-2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$19.51 MYR 79.1

-46.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.72 MYR 11.03

-36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.42 MYR 13.86

-23.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.70 MYR 2.83

-22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$11.97 MYR 48.55

125.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.68 MYR 2.75

360.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.50 MYR 2.05

402.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.82 MYR 19.53

-34.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.50 MYR 2.01

154.00%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.2K MYR 134.7K

-8.54%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.6K MYR 112.0K

-14.69%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$39.38 MYR 160

110.77%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.27 MYR 41.64

121.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$25.38 MYR 103

16.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$36.37 MYR 147

40.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$5.93 MYR 24.03

209.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.08 MYR 20.59

-2.95%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$240 MYR 971

-17.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,304 MYR 25.6K

-16.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$55.8 MYR 226

-33.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$28.30 MYR 115

40.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$60.2 MYR 244

32.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$52.5 MYR 213

70.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$383 MYR 1,553

149.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$269 MYR 1,093

77.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$641 MYR 2,599

156.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$474 MYR 1,921

158.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,978 MYR 8,021

98.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$955 MYR 3,873

576.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Butterworth: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $383 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Butterworth. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $256 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $848 in Butterworth – roughly 50% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,272 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $848 in Butterworth. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 125% 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 $848, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $848 in Butterworth to $1,271 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.