Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cyberjaya, Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Cyberjaya, Selangor: $847 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Cyberjaya, Selangor
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$847
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Cyberjaya, Selangor

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Cyberjaya, Selangor actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $847 in Cyberjaya, Selangor, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Cyberjaya, Selangor $847

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,186 in Cyberjaya, Selangor, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Cyberjaya, Selangor $1,186

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,525 in Cyberjaya, Selangor, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Cyberjaya, Selangor $1,525

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Cyberjaya, Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cyberjaya, Selangor are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Cyberjaya, Selangor 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$2.75 MYR 11.22
291.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$17.15 MYR 70.0
150.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$5.01 MYR 20.46
135.33%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$1.68 MYR 6.84
130.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$0.73 MYR 2.96
87.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$0.25 MYR 1.03
236.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$1.99 MYR 8.12
55.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$3.62 MYR 14.77
40.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.69 MYR 6.90
-14.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$1.00 MYR 4.08
123.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.44 MYR 5.87
2.08%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$1.36 MYR 5.53
86.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$11.49 MYR 46.88
-36.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$3.48 MYR 14.21
125.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$3.61 MYR 14.75
254.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$2.51 MYR 10.22
15.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$1.61 MYR 6.56
-10.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$1.85 MYR 7.57
37.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$0.96 MYR 3.91
114.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$0.77 MYR 3.14
159.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$0.87 MYR 3.53
131.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$1.00 MYR 4.06
19.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.51 MYR 2.07
147.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$4.19 MYR 17.10
5.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$13.92 MYR 56.8
-31.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$2.01 MYR 8.22
-20.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$2.00 MYR 8.15
40.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$0.97 MYR 3.95
-41.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$12.37 MYR 50.5
124.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$0.75 MYR 3.04
564.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$0.74 MYR 3.02
372.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$9.69 MYR 39.54
-44.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$0.63 MYR 2.58
133.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$40.5K MYR 165.2K
-48.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$35.2K MYR 143.4K
-32.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$53.0 MYR 216
58.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$8.08 MYR 32.98
196.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$24.46 MYR 99.8
18.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$53.2 MYR 217
18.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
$11.10 MYR 45.30
162.52%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$4.88 MYR 19.92
1.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$161 MYR 657
26.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$2,406 MYR 9,814
63.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$54.7 MYR 223
-20.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$16.76 MYR 68.4
157.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$81.6 MYR 333
-7.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$99.2 MYR 404
-10.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$343 MYR 1,401
193.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$295 MYR 1,204
26.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$636 MYR 2,595
168.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$340 MYR 1,388
224.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Cyberjaya, Selangor
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$1,733 MYR 7,070
-56.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.06
182.02%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cyberjaya, Selangor: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Cyberjaya, Selangor
$295 21.1% $79
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Cyberjaya, Selangor
$191 26% $67
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Cyberjaya, Selangor
$78 61.3% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Cyberjaya, Selangor
$86 37.6% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Cyberjaya, Selangor
$113 0.4% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Cyberjaya, Selangor
$63 13.5% $9.9
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Cyberjaya, Selangor
$21 60.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $343 in Cyberjaya, Selangor. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 130% higher in Cyberjaya, Selangor, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Cyberjaya, Selangor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $191 – making Cyberjaya, Selangor the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇾 Cyberjaya, Selangor
🕒 Local time
02:07 2:07 AM
15:07 3:07 PM
13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
79,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Cyberjaya, Selangor 17,230 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Cyberjaya, Selangor

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cyberjaya, Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Cyberjaya, Selangor compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, $847 in Cyberjaya, Selangor – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Cyberjaya, Selangor?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,271 in Cyberjaya, Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Cyberjaya, Selangor?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cyberjaya, Selangor, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Cyberjaya, Selangor?
Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Playa del Carmen and $161 in Cyberjaya, Selangor. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 35% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cyberjaya, Selangor, where all-in costs run around $847, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Cyberjaya, Selangor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Cyberjaya, Selangor?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $847 in Cyberjaya, Selangor to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Playa del Carmen or Cyberjaya, Selangor safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Cyberjaya, Selangor?
If budget matters most, go with Cyberjaya, Selangor. 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.

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