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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $965 in Kemaman, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,413 in Kemaman, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,861 in Kemaman, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Kemaman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kemaman are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kemaman 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.61 MYR 10.64

349.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$14.15 MYR 57.8

196.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.67 MYR 15.00

186.38%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.33 MYR 9.51

54.08%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$0.46 MYR 1.86

228.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.34 MYR 1.39

170.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$4.32 MYR 17.64

-31.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$5.46 MYR 22.29

-19.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$0.97 MYR 3.98

93.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$0.91 MYR 3.73

71.43%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$1.15 MYR 4.71

126.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$13.96 MYR 57.0

-40.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.75 MYR 15.33

122.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.68 MYR 39.53

12.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$4.01 MYR 16.37

-32.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.77 MYR 7.22

-14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$3.35 MYR 13.67

-44.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$2.61 MYR 10.66

-16.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$1.75 MYR 7.13

6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$0.99 MYR 4.06

125.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.46 MYR 1.87

136.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$4.14 MYR 16.90

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$19.53 MYR 79.8

-46.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$4.30 MYR 17.54

-61.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$5.48 MYR 22.38

-52.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.69 MYR 2.83

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$11.61 MYR 47.40

125.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.20 MYR 4.90

156.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$1.09 MYR 4.45

120.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-28.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$0.46 MYR 1.88

184.78%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$42.9K MYR 175.3K

-30.57%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$31.6K MYR 128.9K

-26.14%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$73.8 MYR 301

10.12%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$9.71 MYR 39.65

132.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$28.92 MYR 118

3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$36.88 MYR 151

43.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$5.82 MYR 23.78

215.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$5.51 MYR 22.48

-10.71%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$120 MYR 490

67.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$4,311 MYR 17.6K

20.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$108 MYR 440

-66.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$27.82 MYR 114

44.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$74.5 MYR 304

7.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$78.9 MYR 322

9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$380 MYR 1,553

157.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$264 MYR 1,080

77.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$651 MYR 2,658

153.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$470 MYR 1,918

156.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$2,013 MYR 8,220

96.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$1,152 MYR 4,705

473.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $380 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $14.00 in Kemaman. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $272 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 31%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,448 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 $42.00 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $965 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 $965, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.