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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $673 in Jayapura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,047 in Jayapura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,421 in Jayapura.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 89% more expensive than Jayapura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Jayapura 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

534.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$10.28 Rp 184.1K

317.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

256.19%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

98.28%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.68 Rp 12.1K

120.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

63.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.74 Rp 67.1K

-18.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.25 Rp 76.1K

8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.22 Rp 21.9K

13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

58.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

80.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

61.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.96 Rp 142.6K

3.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.07 Rp 55.0K

172.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.72 Rp 138.3K

38.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.40 Rp 43.0K

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

6.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

38.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.33 Rp 23.8K

39.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.96 Rp 35.1K

15.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

12.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.44 Rp 7,893

147.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.55 Rp 45.7K

62.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$21.34 Rp 382.4K

-51.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

-14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

-17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.32 Rp 5,804

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$9.62 Rp 172.4K

180.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.57 Rp 10.3K

449.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.35 Rp 6,198

617.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

5.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

64.94%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$24.7K Rp 443.3M

22.75%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.8K Rp 498.6M

-15.32%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

17.10%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.25 Rp 76.2K

434.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$22.34 Rp 400.3K

31.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.76 Rp 407.7K

124.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$6.26 Rp 112.1K

192.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.04 Rp 54.5K

62.17%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$93.7 Rp 1.7M

110.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,483 Rp 134.1M

-29.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$42.07 Rp 753.7K

-12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$31.00 Rp 555.3K

28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$67.9 Rp 1.2M

17.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$72.7 Rp 1.3M

23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$262 Rp 4.7M

264.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$155 Rp 2.8M

207.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$585 Rp 10.5M

181.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$336 Rp 6.0M

264.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,186 Rp 21.3M

230.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$732 Rp 13.1M

782.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Jayapura: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $262 in Jayapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $10.00 in Jayapura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $208 per month, with Jayapura 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 Jayapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jayapura is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,009 in Jayapura to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Jayapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $93.7 in Jayapura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $673 in Jayapura versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jayapura but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jayapura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jayapura is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Jayapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.