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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $955 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,409 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,862 in Kedah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kedah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.44 MYR 13.98

247.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$12.37 MYR 50.3

283.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.92 MYR 20.00

138.82%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.79 MYR 11.37

47.67%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.97 MYR 3.94

44.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.33 MYR 1.34

175.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.47 MYR 10.03

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.34 MYR 17.67

62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.45 MYR 9.97

-31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.31 MYR 5.34

64.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.70 MYR 6.92

4.12%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.59 MYR 10.53

8.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.46 MYR 62.9

-40.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.16 MYR 20.98

78.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.82 MYR 39.94

28.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.38 MYR 9.68

23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.53 MYR 6.22

3.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.24 MYR 9.12

-0.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.21 MYR 4.92

95.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.94 MYR 3.84

111.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.81 MYR 3.28

144.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.77 MYR 3.13

61.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.69 MYR 2.79

75.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.48 MYR 18.22

2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$21.57 MYR 87.8

-51.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.49 MYR 10.14

-32.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.61 MYR 14.68

-23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$12.16 MYR 49.48

144.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.26 MYR 5.12

315.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.51 MYR 2.09

615.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.74 MYR 27.41

-14.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.64 MYR 2.61

140.63%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$42.4K MYR 172.6K

-46.26%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$28.1K MYR 114.5K

-8.26%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$50.1 MYR 204

80.91%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$8.22 MYR 33.46

206.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$31.52 MYR 128

0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$41.66 MYR 169

65.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$6.61 MYR 26.88

344.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.67 MYR 18.99

4.07%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$175 MYR 711

29.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,909 MYR 20.0K

-14.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$55.1 MYR 224

-14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$35.44 MYR 144

22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$74.4 MYR 303

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$70.5 MYR 287

29.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$423 MYR 1,720

156.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$333 MYR 1,355

22.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$697 MYR 2,835

182.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$492 MYR 2,002

160.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,052 MYR 8,347

97.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,131 MYR 4,601

492.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,313 MYR 5,343

-41.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.43

158.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kedah: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $423 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $271 per month, with Kedah 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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kedah differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $955 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $423 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $175 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $955 in Kedah versus $1,305 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.