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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $626 in Cimahi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $963 in Cimahi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,300 in Cimahi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 101% more expensive than in Cimahi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cimahi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$1.27 Rp 22.9K

822.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$9.43 Rp 170.2K

344.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.44 Rp 62.1K

205.52%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

131.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.52 Rp 9,462

190.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.27 Rp 4,896

240.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.68 Rp 48.4K

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.60 Rp 65.0K

22.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

14.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

69.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

79.31%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

71.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$6.58 Rp 118.8K

26.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.00 Rp 54.1K

178.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.87 Rp 142.1K

37.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.27 Rp 41.0K

19.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

17.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.64 Rp 29.6K

14.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

41.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.62 Rp 47.4K

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.91 Rp 16.5K

17.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.43 Rp 7,680

153.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.60 Rp 47.0K

61.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$20.67 Rp 373.2K

-49.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.03 Rp 36.6K

-18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.30 Rp 5,406

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$10.05 Rp 181.5K

160.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.54 Rp 9,744

470.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.38 Rp 6,809

531.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.50 Rp 45.2K

25.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

59.76%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$24.2K Rp 437.5M

23.00%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$26.1K Rp 470.6M

-10.54%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$43.95 Rp 793.5K

84.94%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$4.58 Rp 82.7K

392.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$22.97 Rp 414.7K

30.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.39 Rp 422.2K

126.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$6.05 Rp 109.3K

203.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.08 Rp 55.7K

59.74%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$94.8 Rp 1.7M

111.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,589 Rp 137.0M

-31.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$41.30 Rp 745.6K

-13.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$30.90 Rp 557.9K

29.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$59.4 Rp 1.1M

34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$64.8 Rp 1.2M

33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$261 Rp 4.7M

274.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$158 Rp 2.9M

196.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$584 Rp 10.5M

182.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$333 Rp 6.0M

261.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$245 Rp 4.4M

175.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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 Cimahi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $261 in Cimahi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 176% 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 $9.00 in Cimahi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $201 per month, with Cimahi 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 Cimahi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimahi wins on cost – living expenses run 101% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimahi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 176% 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 $261 in Cimahi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cimahi runs roughly 160% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $94.8 in Cimahi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $626 in Cimahi versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimahi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cimahi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimahi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $626 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimahi hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cimahi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.