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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $845 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,324 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,803 in Kedah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 49% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kedah 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$2.97 MYR 11.73

292.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$20.99 MYR 82.9

99.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$4.25 MYR 16.81

144.71%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.88 MYR 11.37

25.35%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$0.69 MYR 2.71

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.36 MYR 1.43

152.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$4.28 MYR 16.91

-29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$4.39 MYR 17.34

1.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.84 MYR 7.26

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.90 MYR 3.56

104.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.16 MYR 4.59

38.79%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.13 MYR 8.42

20.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$14.94 MYR 59.0

-43.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$5.16 MYR 20.37

64.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$14.74 MYR 58.2

-25.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.87 MYR 11.34

-4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.21 MYR 4.77

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$2.68 MYR 10.59

-26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$2.09 MYR 8.24

1.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.18 MYR 4.65

57.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.22 MYR 4.80

77.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.95 MYR 3.75

12.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.48 MYR 1.91

118.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$4.19 MYR 16.57

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$19.49 MYR 77.0

-47.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$2.65 MYR 10.47

-36.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.52 MYR 13.89

-29.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.72 MYR 2.85

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$11.89 MYR 46.98

120.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$0.68 MYR 2.69

355.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.47 MYR 1.84

423.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.95 MYR 27.47

-53.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$0.50 MYR 1.97

152.00%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$33.2K MYR 131.3K

-9.26%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$27.9K MYR 110.3K

-16.08%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$38.58 MYR 152

117.70%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$10.25 MYR 40.50

116.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$11.73 MYR 46.35

152.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$36.97 MYR 146

42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$5.79 MYR 22.85

216.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$2.87 MYR 11.33

72.47%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$243 MYR 958

-18.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,217 MYR 24.6K

-14.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$53.9 MYR 213

-33.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$29.08 MYR 115

37.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$61.0 MYR 241

29.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$53.0 MYR 209

63.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$387 MYR 1,528

152.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$268 MYR 1,061

75.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$638 MYR 2,519

150.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$470 MYR 1,857

158.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,647 MYR 6,507

144.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,008 MYR 3,983

552.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$1,358 MYR 5,364

-47.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.16

174.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Kedah: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $387 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $21 in Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $273, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kedah differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $845 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kedah earns 90% 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $387 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $243 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $845 in Kedah versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah 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 Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.