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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $810 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,218 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,626 in Gombak.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 55% more expensive than in Gombak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Gombak 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.65 MYR 10.86

352.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$19.02 MYR 77.8

119.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$3.66 MYR 14.99

193.72%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.31 MYR 9.46

51.52%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.69 MYR 2.81

110.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.36 MYR 1.49

144.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.47 MYR 14.18

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$5.03 MYR 20.56

-10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.83 MYR 7.46

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.96 MYR 3.94

91.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.45 MYR 5.93

8.28%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.88 MYR 7.69

33.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.75 MYR 43.97

-22.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.45 MYR 14.10

144.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.98 MYR 32.63

33.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.74 MYR 11.22

-4.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.49 MYR 10.16

-21.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.25 MYR 5.11

67.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.13 MYR 4.64

63.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.03 MYR 4.22

110.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.96 MYR 3.92

7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.52 MYR 2.11

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.27 MYR 17.48

-3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$19.27 MYR 78.8

-47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.70 MYR 11.05

-37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$3.83 MYR 15.65

-33.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.68 MYR 2.80

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$11.64 MYR 47.63

123.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.03 MYR 4.21

213.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.10 MYR 4.49

119.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.21 MYR 17.24

-23.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.49 MYR 2.01

169.39%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

-3.81%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$27.8K MYR 113.7K

-14.88%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$41.04 MYR 168

99.83%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.57 MYR 39.16

139.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$23.09 MYR 94.4

30.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$36.23 MYR 148

43.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$5.83 MYR 23.84

217.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.04 MYR 20.60

-1.19%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$119 MYR 487

65.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,236 MYR 17.3K

25.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$48.65 MYR 199

-26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$27.37 MYR 112

47.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$54.4 MYR 223

44.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$48.32 MYR 198

84.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$385 MYR 1,576

145.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$274 MYR 1,119

73.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$653 MYR 2,672

151.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$472 MYR 1,931

156.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,780 MYR 7,282

127.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,304 MYR 5,333

396.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$551 MYR 2,252

18.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.96

188.38%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gombak: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $385 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 19% 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 $19.00 in Gombak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $230 per month, with Gombak 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 Gombak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gombak wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gombak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $385 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gombak – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $810 in Gombak versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gombak but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gombak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gombak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $810 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gombak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Gombak 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 Gombak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.