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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $868 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,344 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,819 in Kedah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 46% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kedah 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$3.02 MYR 12.25

293.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$21.42 MYR 86.9

100.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$4.28 MYR 17.36

148.83%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.95 MYR 11.96

16.95%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$0.74 MYR 3.02

102.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.37 MYR 1.48

156.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$4.40 MYR 17.84

-31.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$4.48 MYR 18.19

2.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.81 MYR 7.34

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.91 MYR 3.67

103.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.21 MYR 4.92

33.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$2.11 MYR 8.58

22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$15.33 MYR 62.2

-46.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$5.00 MYR 20.27

67.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$14.66 MYR 59.5

-27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$2.88 MYR 11.70

-8.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.19 MYR 4.83

25.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$2.61 MYR 10.60

-26.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$2.17 MYR 8.82

-3.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$1.19 MYR 4.83

56.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$1.16 MYR 4.72

94.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$0.97 MYR 3.92

9.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.48 MYR 1.95

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$4.13 MYR 16.76

0.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$19.59 MYR 79.5

-46.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$2.64 MYR 10.70

-34.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$3.37 MYR 13.67

-22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.68 MYR 2.77

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$11.77 MYR 47.74

128.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$0.69 MYR 2.82

353.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$0.47 MYR 1.92

434.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$6.98 MYR 28.34

-54.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$0.49 MYR 2.00

159.18%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$33.5K MYR 135.9K

-9.29%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$27.4K MYR 111.0K

-13.86%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$38.49 MYR 156

115.64%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$9.99 MYR 40.52

127.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$11.96 MYR 48.55

146.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$36.49 MYR 148

39.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

$5.85 MYR 23.76

213.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$2.81 MYR 11.41

75.44%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$238 MYR 964

-16.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$6,215 MYR 25.2K

-15.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$55.4 MYR 225

-33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$28.32 MYR 115

40.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$62.0 MYR 252

29.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$52.5 MYR 213

70.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$380 MYR 1,541

151.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$270 MYR 1,094

76.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$646 MYR 2,622

154.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$465 MYR 1,886

163.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$1,964 MYR 7,968

99.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$957 MYR 3,882

575.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

$1,322 MYR 5,363

-49.53%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kedah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $380 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Kedah. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $868 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kedah earns 98% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $380 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $238 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 $868 in Kedah versus $1,271 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 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.