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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $954 in Kemaman, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,407 in Kemaman, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,860 in Kemaman, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 35% more than Kemaman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kemaman are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kemaman 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.62 MYR 10.35

355.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$14.31 MYR 56.5

198.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.83 MYR 15.14

176.50%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.31 MYR 9.12

56.71%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.49 MYR 1.92

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.36 MYR 1.44

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$4.17 MYR 16.49

-25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$5.32 MYR 21.01

-16.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.91 MYR 7.53

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.01 MYR 4.00

86.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.98 MYR 3.86

66.33%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.11 MYR 4.38

137.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$14.41 MYR 56.9

-43.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.70 MYR 14.60

124.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.41 MYR 37.17

17.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.86 MYR 15.23

-31.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.71 MYR 6.74

-12.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.42 MYR 13.50

-41.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.55 MYR 10.09

-18.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.76 MYR 6.97

1.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.03 MYR 4.07

111.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.13 MYR 4.45

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.46 MYR 1.81

126.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.35 MYR 17.18

-8.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$20.31 MYR 80.2

-49.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$4.22 MYR 16.68

-59.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$5.39 MYR 21.29

-53.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.70 MYR 2.76

-25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$11.56 MYR 45.68

133.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.21 MYR 4.77

159.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.11 MYR 4.37

116.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$4.24 MYR 16.76

-27.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.50 MYR 1.96

154.00%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$43.8K MYR 172.8K

-29.42%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$31.7K MYR 125.1K

-26.39%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$73.1 MYR 289

12.25%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.97 MYR 39.38

125.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$28.42 MYR 112

4.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$37.18 MYR 147

39.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$6.03 MYR 23.83

209.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.61 MYR 22.16

-11.41%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$116 MYR 456

71.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,396 MYR 17.4K

19.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$111 MYR 438

-67.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$27.36 MYR 108

46.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$74.2 MYR 293

7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$79.6 MYR 314

11.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$393 MYR 1,551

145.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$272 MYR 1,073

71.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$654 MYR 2,583

144.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$471 MYR 1,861

156.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,799 MYR 7,107

119.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$881 MYR 3,481

631.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.96

188.38%

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 Kemaman: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $393 in Kemaman. 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 $14.00 in Kemaman. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $273 in Kemaman – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 35%, 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 $1,431 in Kemaman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kemaman, 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 $14.00 in Kemaman. 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 $954 in Kemaman. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kemaman, where all-in costs run around $954, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Kemaman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kemaman. 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.