Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Denpasar, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Denpasar, Bali: $896 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Denpasar, Bali
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Denpasar, Bali Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Denpasar, Bali

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 Denpasar, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $896 in Denpasar, Bali.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Denpasar, Bali $896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,522 in Denpasar, Bali.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Denpasar, Bali $1,522

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,148 in Denpasar, Bali.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Denpasar, Bali $2,148

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 36% more expensive than in Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Denpasar, Bali 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$200

$2.20 Rp 39.4K

398.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$816

$23.17 Rp 414.6K

93.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$217

$3.91 Rp 70.0K

204.86%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.2

$1.75 Rp 31.4K

117.14%

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

$1.31 MX$23.86

$1.08 Rp 19.3K

21.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.58

$0.51 Rp 9,211

68.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.4

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

76.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$91.2

$2.98 Rp 53.3K

68.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.53

$1.28 Rp 22.8K

14.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.33

$1.87 Rp 33.4K

24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.24

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

42.57%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.78

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

41.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$140

$13.76 Rp 246.1K

-44.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$144

$3.20 Rp 57.2K

146.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$233

$9.61 Rp 171.9K

33.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.1

$2.95 Rp 52.9K

-1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.87

$1.26 Rp 22.5K

12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.66

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

41.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$38.88

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

37.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.42

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

28.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.22

$1.96 Rp 35.0K

-1.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.94

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

47.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.21

$0.43 Rp 7,743

183.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.6

$1.85 Rp 33.1K

136.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$179

$18.22 Rp 326.0K

-45.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$27.97

$1.94 Rp 34.7K

-20.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.40

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.55

$0.24 Rp 4,304

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$499

$7.17 Rp 128.3K

282.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$89.4

$0.40 Rp 7,112

1127.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.1

$0.42 Rp 7,428

738.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$103

$3.12 Rp 55.9K

82.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.01

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

105.33%

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

$21.2K MX$386.3K

$21.5K Rp 384.3M

-1.13%

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

$24.5K MX$445.4K

$28.0K Rp 501.7M

-12.68%

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

$83.6 MX$1,521

$72.7 Rp 1.3M

15.01%

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

$24.03 MX$437

$5.91 Rp 105.7K

306.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$534

$16.47 Rp 294.6K

78.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,180

$39.87 Rp 713.2K

62.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$536

$12.71 Rp 227.4K

131.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$92.5

$3.01 Rp 53.8K

69.10%

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

$208 MX$3,778

$381 Rp 6.8M

-45.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.6K

$4,359 Rp 78.0M

-7.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$810

$39.61 Rp 708.5K

12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$765

$29.69 Rp 531.2K

41.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,374

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,662

$68.1 Rp 1.2M

34.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$17.9K

$594 Rp 10.6M

65.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,007

$353 Rp 6.3M

9.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.2K

$1,822 Rp 32.6M

-5.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.2K

$915 Rp 16.4M

21.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.0K

$1,461 Rp 26.1M

174.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$113.6K

$1,189 Rp 21.3M

425.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.8K

$284 Rp 5.1M

166.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.78

-16.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Denpasar, Bali

$353 39.1% 8.4% $32

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Denpasar, Bali

$234 25.9% 10.2% $27

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8% 64.8% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Denpasar, Bali

$95 10.5% 30.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Denpasar, Bali

$92 10.2% 19% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Denpasar, Bali

$46 5.1% 38.8% $29

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Denpasar, Bali

$11 1.2% 79.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $594 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 167% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $234 per month, with Denpasar, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

14:48 2:48 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

788,445

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Denpasar, Bali 17,280 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Denpasar, Bali

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 Denpasar, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Denpasar, Bali differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $896 including rent). Denpasar, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 167% 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: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $594 in Denpasar, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $896 in Denpasar, Bali – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Denpasar, Bali runs roughly 282% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $896 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Denpasar, Bali but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Denpasar, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Denpasar, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Denpasar, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.