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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $971 in Gombak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,435 in Gombak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,899 in Gombak.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than in Gombak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Gombak 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.75 MYR 15.24

218.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$24.33 MYR 99.0

94.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.04 MYR 20.51

133.13%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.06 MYR 12.45

34.64%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.89 MYR 3.61

57.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.45 MYR 1.83

102.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.25 MYR 13.24

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$5.87 MYR 23.87

20.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.96 MYR 7.96

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.05 MYR 4.26

104.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.51 MYR 6.15

17.22%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.80 MYR 7.32

56.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.03 MYR 40.81

-8.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.21 MYR 13.07

187.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.83 MYR 39.99

28.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.49 MYR 14.20

-15.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.95 MYR 7.95

-18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.65 MYR 10.78

-16.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.83 MYR 7.43

28.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.12 MYR 8.61

-6.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.98 MYR 8.05

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.51 MYR 6.13

-17.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.53 MYR 2.16

128.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.72 MYR 19.21

-2.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$19.16 MYR 77.9

-45.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.71 MYR 11.03

-37.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$4.52 MYR 18.38

-38.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.77 MYR 3.11

-22.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$12.29 MYR 49.99

141.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.22 MYR 4.98

329.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.36 MYR 1.46

913.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$9.46 MYR 38.47

-38.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.72 MYR 2.94

113.89%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$41.8K MYR 170.0K

-45.44%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$33.1K MYR 134.7K

-22.06%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$49.11 MYR 200

84.63%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$8.30 MYR 33.76

203.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$26.69 MYR 109

18.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$40.92 MYR 166

68.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$6.51 MYR 26.47

351.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$3.18 MYR 12.95

52.83%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$285 MYR 1,160

-20.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

-60.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$52.1 MYR 212

-9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$29.69 MYR 121

46.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$78.1 MYR 318

2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$85.7 MYR 349

6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$426 MYR 1,733

154.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$329 MYR 1,338

24.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$698 MYR 2,841

182.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$495 MYR 2,015

158.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,104 MYR 8,561

92.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,139 MYR 4,634

488.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$557 MYR 2,265

38.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.51

153.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Gombak: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $426 in Gombak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 39% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Gombak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $251 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 34% 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 39% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Gombak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $24.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $971 in Gombak versus $1,305 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 $971 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 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.