Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Johor Bahru Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Johor Bahru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,551 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,042 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 23% more expensive than in Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Johor Bahru 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.64 MYR 14.81

228.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$21.40 MYR 87.1

121.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.95 MYR 20.14

137.37%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.03 MYR 12.31

35.97%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.84 MYR 3.43

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.52 MYR 2.11

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$4.40 MYR 17.91

-27.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$6.13 MYR 24.95

15.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.75 MYR 7.13

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.11 MYR 4.51

93.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.46 MYR 5.95

21.23%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.76 MYR 7.16

60.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$18.53 MYR 75.4

-50.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.64 MYR 18.86

98.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.85 MYR 44.12

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.47 MYR 14.11

-14.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.69 MYR 6.86

-6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.96 MYR 16.09

-43.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.63 MYR 6.64

44.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.47 MYR 5.98

35.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.74 MYR 7.08

13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.33 MYR 5.43

-6.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.55 MYR 2.25

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.28 MYR 17.41

7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$14.41 MYR 58.6

-27.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.87 MYR 11.66

-41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.04 MYR 12.35

-8.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.77 MYR 3.13

-22.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$12.45 MYR 50.6

138.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.44 MYR 5.85

263.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.71 MYR 2.89

414.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$9.69 MYR 39.44

-40.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.78 MYR 3.19

97.44%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$42.9K MYR 174.6K

-46.88%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$36.1K MYR 146.9K

-28.51%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$53.3 MYR 217

70.08%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$11.37 MYR 46.27

121.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.26 MYR 119

8.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$40.41 MYR 164

70.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$5.62 MYR 22.86

422.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.86 MYR 19.75

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

$226 MX$3,828

$167 MYR 679

35.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,463 MYR 18.2K

-6.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$66.5 MYR 271

-28.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$16.90 MYR 68.8

157.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$81.7 MYR 332

-1.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$40.29 MYR 164

126.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$518 MYR 2,108

109.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$395 MYR 1,606

3.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$903 MYR 3,673

118.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$631 MYR 2,567

103.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,032 MYR 8,266

99.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,176 MYR 4,784

470.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,090 MYR 4,434

-29.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.06

182.02%

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 Johor Bahru: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $518 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $273 per month, with Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Johor Bahru differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,061 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Johor Bahru. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $518 in Johor Bahru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Johor Bahru – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Johor Bahru versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.