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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $812 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,219 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,625 in Gombak.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than Gombak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Gombak 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.54 MYR 10.13

361.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$18.70 MYR 74.6

122.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.71 MYR 14.80

186.79%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.24 MYR 8.95

57.14%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.67 MYR 2.67

125.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.33 MYR 1.33

193.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.59 MYR 14.34

-17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$5.14 MYR 20.51

-13.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.82 MYR 7.25

-24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.97 MYR 3.85

94.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.49 MYR 5.95

10.07%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.89 MYR 7.55

32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.44 MYR 41.66

-20.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.46 MYR 13.81

141.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.15 MYR 32.54

31.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.78 MYR 11.10

-6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.68 MYR 6.70

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$2.47 MYR 9.87

-23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.25 MYR 4.97

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.18 MYR 4.73

50.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.04 MYR 4.13

110.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.90 MYR 3.59

15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.50 MYR 2.01

116.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.15 MYR 16.57

-1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$20.52 MYR 81.9

-49.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$2.73 MYR 10.89

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$3.99 MYR 15.92

-35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.68 MYR 2.72

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$11.85 MYR 47.28

123.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.98 MYR 3.91

232.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.10 MYR 4.37

126.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$4.22 MYR 16.84

-22.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.50 MYR 2.00

162.00%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$30.9K MYR 123.5K

-2.13%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$28.0K MYR 111.6K

-16.24%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$40.18 MYR 160

106.25%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$9.91 MYR 39.53

124.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$22.66 MYR 90.4

29.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$36.48 MYR 146

41.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$5.93 MYR 23.66

208.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.97 MYR 19.83

2.01%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$116 MYR 464

72.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$4,242 MYR 16.9K

22.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$49.33 MYR 197

-25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$27.02 MYR 108

47.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$53.1 MYR 212

47.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$49.58 MYR 198

75.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$383 MYR 1,530

153.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$269 MYR 1,071

74.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$637 MYR 2,540

157.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$475 MYR 1,896

156.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,056 MYR 8,204

91.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$961 MYR 3,833

576.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$566 MYR 2,257

17.36%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gombak: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $383 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% 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 $233 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 60% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 17% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $383 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $812 in Gombak versus $1,297 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 $812 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 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.