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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $966 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,378 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,791 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 33% more expensive than Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Johor Bahru 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$3.53 MYR 13.93

238.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$18.69 MYR 73.8

128.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$4.76 MYR 18.82

122.48%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.01 MYR 11.90

20.27%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.85 MYR 3.35

72.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.49 MYR 1.93

91.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$3.51 MYR 13.85

-11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$6.76 MYR 26.71

-34.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.80 MYR 7.11

-20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.98 MYR 3.89

91.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.24 MYR 4.89

31.45%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.84 MYR 7.26

43.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$10.67 MYR 42.16

-23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$3.55 MYR 14.01

133.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.25 MYR 32.60

34.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.66 MYR 10.51

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.46 MYR 5.76

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.57 MYR 10.16

-22.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.25 MYR 4.93

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.14 MYR 4.51

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.34 MYR 5.30

62.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.94 MYR 3.71

14.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.52 MYR 2.04

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.17 MYR 16.47

-4.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.50 MYR 57.3

-29.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.68 MYR 10.59

-35.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.92 MYR 11.53

-14.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.72 MYR 2.86

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$11.81 MYR 46.65

128.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.97 MYR 3.84

223.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.02 MYR 4.04

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$9.09 MYR 35.92

-66.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.47 MYR 1.84

170.21%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$34.8K MYR 137.4K

-11.24%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$28.1K MYR 111.0K

-17.07%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$40.87 MYR 161

100.66%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$9.23 MYR 36.44

143.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$30.64 MYR 121

-3.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$35.09 MYR 139

47.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$5.82 MYR 22.99

220.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$4.90 MYR 19.35

1.43%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$191 MYR 755

3.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$6,900 MYR 27.3K

-23.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$49.07 MYR 194

-25.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$19.14 MYR 75.6

109.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$54.2 MYR 214

47.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$39.65 MYR 157

124.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$468 MYR 1,848

105.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$396 MYR 1,565

17.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$843 MYR 3,331

89.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$599 MYR 2,366

101.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,090 MYR 8,254

88.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,190 MYR 4,700

441.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$1,155 MYR 4,562

-37.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.07

180.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $468 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $218 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $966 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Johor Bahru earns 60% less. 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $468 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 $19.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $966 in Johor Bahru – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $966 in Johor Bahru versus $1,287 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 33% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.