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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $857 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,327 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,798 in Kedah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 47% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kedah 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$3.14 MYR 12.82

280.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$21.57 MYR 88.2

94.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$4.26 MYR 17.42

144.60%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$2.94 MYR 12.02

19.39%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$0.74 MYR 3.02

105.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.33 MYR 1.37

175.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$4.38 MYR 17.91

-30.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$4.32 MYR 17.67

1.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$1.83 MYR 7.47

-22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$0.97 MYR 3.97

88.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$1.16 MYR 4.75

40.52%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.04 MYR 8.32

24.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$14.76 MYR 60.4

-41.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$5.00 MYR 20.44

69.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$14.52 MYR 59.4

-25.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$2.77 MYR 11.31

-0.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$1.21 MYR 4.95

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$2.69 MYR 10.98

-29.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$2.11 MYR 8.64

2.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$1.19 MYR 4.88

49.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$1.21 MYR 4.94

83.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$0.97 MYR 3.96

10.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.45 MYR 1.83

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$4.15 MYR 16.96

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$19.04 MYR 77.8

-45.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$2.65 MYR 10.85

-34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$3.54 MYR 14.46

-27.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$0.70 MYR 2.86

-27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$11.64 MYR 47.59

122.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$0.73 MYR 3.00

339.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.50 MYR 2.04

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$7.08 MYR 28.96

-54.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.50 MYR 2.04

152.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$33.6K MYR 137.5K

-11.71%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$27.8K MYR 113.6K

-14.79%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$38.56 MYR 158

112.73%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$9.94 MYR 40.63

128.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$11.76 MYR 48.07

150.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$37.42 MYR 153

39.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

$6.04 MYR 24.68

205.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$2.81 MYR 11.49

75.44%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$236 MYR 964

-14.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$6,189 MYR 25.3K

-15.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$54.0 MYR 221

-33.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$28.68 MYR 117

40.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$62.3 MYR 255

28.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$53.8 MYR 220

66.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$382 MYR 1,561

148.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$274 MYR 1,118

70.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$650 MYR 2,657

150.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$476 MYR 1,946

150.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

$2,045 MYR 8,362

92.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

$1,134 MYR 4,635

466.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$1,301 MYR 5,319

-49.41%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Kedah: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $382 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $270, 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,259 vs $857 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Kedah. 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $382 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $236 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 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $857 in Kedah versus $1,259 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 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.