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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $676 in Kalimantan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,026 in Kalimantan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,376 in Kalimantan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 90% more than Kalimantan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kalimantan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kalimantan 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$1.56 Rp 26.9K

665.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$12.16 Rp 210.0K

251.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$3.34 Rp 57.6K

217.07%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.64 Rp 28.4K

120.73%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.51 Rp 8,746

188.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.26 Rp 4,474

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.53 Rp 43.7K

22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.51 Rp 60.6K

27.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.17 Rp 20.1K

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.17 Rp 20.1K

60.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.89 Rp 15.4K

83.15%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.52 Rp 26.2K

73.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.24 Rp 142.2K

-0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$3.09 Rp 53.4K

168.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.03 Rp 138.7K

38.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.33 Rp 40.3K

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.46 Rp 25.1K

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.88 Rp 32.4K

5.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.55 Rp 26.7K

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.38 Rp 23.8K

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

14.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.90 Rp 15.5K

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.45 Rp 7,771

131.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.48 Rp 42.8K

60.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$21.75 Rp 375.6K

-53.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.02 Rp 34.9K

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.20 Rp 55.3K

-21.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.30 Rp 5,156

73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$9.93 Rp 171.4K

171.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.57 Rp 9,782

450.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.37 Rp 6,405

548.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

3.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.81 Rp 14.1K

56.79%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$24.5K Rp 423.7M

25.84%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$27.3K Rp 471.3M

-14.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$70.2 Rp 1.2M

16.76%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$4.42 Rp 76.4K

407.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$23.08 Rp 398.5K

28.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$23.19 Rp 400.4K

123.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$6.22 Rp 107.5K

200.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$3.10 Rp 53.5K

60.32%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$92.8 Rp 1.6M

113.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$7,465 Rp 128.9M

-29.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$41.99 Rp 725.0K

-13.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$30.41 Rp 525.0K

31.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$65.8 Rp 1.1M

21.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$74.6 Rp 1.3M

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$259 Rp 4.5M

272.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$160 Rp 2.8M

191.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$586 Rp 10.1M

172.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$328 Rp 5.7M

268.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,301 Rp 22.5M

202.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$866 Rp 14.9M

644.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kalimantan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $259 in Kalimantan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $12.00 in Kalimantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $210 – making Kalimantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kalimantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 90%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,014 in Kalimantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $12.00 in Kalimantan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $676 in Kalimantan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kalimantan, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Kalimantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kalimantan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kalimantan. 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.