Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Jakarta: $793 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
Learn more

Jakarta Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Jakarta

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $793 in Jakarta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Jakarta $793

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,283 in Jakarta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Jakarta $1,283

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,772 in Jakarta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Jakarta $1,772

Playa del Carmen costs about 53% more than Jakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Jakarta are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Jakarta 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$2.63 Rp 47.1K

317.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$16.93 Rp 302.6K

164.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$3.33 Rp 59.5K

257.96%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

90.00%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$0.43 Rp 7,768

204.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.25 Rp 4,468

244.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$2.57 Rp 45.9K

24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$3.85 Rp 68.8K

30.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.42 Rp 25.4K

2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$1.09 Rp 19.4K

113.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

58.24%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$1.77 Rp 31.7K

38.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$9.22 Rp 164.8K

-16.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$3.11 Rp 55.5K

153.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$7.78 Rp 139.0K

64.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$2.87 Rp 51.4K

1.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.32 Rp 23.5K

7.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.50 Rp 44.6K

2.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

53.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

41.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

-7.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

22.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.51 Rp 9,098

139.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$2.80 Rp 50.0K

56.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$20.83 Rp 372.4K

-52.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$2.05 Rp 36.7K

-24.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$3.04 Rp 54.3K

-10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.27 Rp 4,805

92.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$11.86 Rp 211.9K

131.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$0.50 Rp 8,975

882.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$0.33 Rp 5,883

966.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$3.42 Rp 61.1K

66.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

77.01%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$27.8K Rp 496.4M

-23.52%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$32.6K Rp 583.0M

-24.92%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$106 Rp 1.9M

-21.02%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$6.04 Rp 107.9K

297.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$19.04 Rp 340.4K

54.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$25.65 Rp 458.4K

152.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$13.65 Rp 244.1K

115.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

54.71%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$153 Rp 2.7M

35.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$8,270 Rp 147.8M

-51.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$58.7 Rp 1.0M

-24.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$28.37 Rp 507.1K

48.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

6.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$106 Rp 1.9M

-13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$370 Rp 6.6M

166.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$200 Rp 3.6M

92.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$1,155 Rp 20.6M

48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$556 Rp 9.9M

99.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$3,023 Rp 54.0M

32.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$1,445 Rp 25.8M

332.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$449 Rp 8.0M

68.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.46

21.04%

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 Jakarta: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Jakarta

$200 25.3% 48% $185

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Jakarta

$218 27.5% 16.3% $43

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Jakarta

$78 9.9% 61.6% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Jakarta

$131 16.5% 4.4% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Jakarta

$119 15% 4% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Jakarta

$32 4.1% 57.1% $43

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Jakarta

$15 1.9% 71% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $370 in Jakarta. 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 69% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Jakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $218 – making Jakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

14:45 2:45 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

11,337,563 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 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 = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Jakarta 17,820 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Jakarta

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 Jakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 53% more than Jakarta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,190 in Jakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jakarta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $208 per month in Playa del Carmen and $153 in Jakarta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jakarta, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Jakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jakarta costs $793 versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Jakarta. 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.