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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $957 in Kemaman, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,416 in Kemaman, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,876 in Kemaman, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% 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 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.52 MYR 10.20

371.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$14.10 MYR 57.2

204.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.70 MYR 14.99

187.84%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.29 MYR 9.30

50.66%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.49 MYR 1.99

206.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.34 MYR 1.38

179.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$4.29 MYR 17.40

-29.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$5.46 MYR 22.16

-15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.87 MYR 7.59

-26.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.00 MYR 4.06

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.98 MYR 3.97

64.29%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.16 MYR 4.72

123.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$14.17 MYR 57.4

-41.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.72 MYR 15.07

125.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.71 MYR 39.36

9.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.97 MYR 16.11

-33.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.75 MYR 7.10

-14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.29 MYR 13.36

-41.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.52 MYR 10.23

-17.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.70 MYR 6.90

9.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.00 MYR 4.07

126.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.07 MYR 4.34

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.49 MYR 1.99

122.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.33 MYR 17.58

-4.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$20.19 MYR 81.9

-48.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$4.38 MYR 17.77

-60.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$5.44 MYR 22.06

-52.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.74 MYR 3.02

-27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$11.70 MYR 47.45

130.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.15 MYR 4.65

172.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.10 MYR 4.45

128.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.23 MYR 17.15

-25.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.49 MYR 2.01

159.18%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$44.0K MYR 178.3K

-30.92%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.8K MYR 129.1K

-25.96%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$74.5 MYR 302

11.39%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.68 MYR 39.23

134.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$27.84 MYR 113

5.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.27 MYR 151

36.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$5.86 MYR 23.78

212.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.73 MYR 23.23

-13.96%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$117 MYR 476

67.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,262 MYR 17.3K

23.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$108 MYR 440

-65.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$27.79 MYR 113

43.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$75.3 MYR 305

6.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.4 MYR 318

14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$389 MYR 1,578

145.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$265 MYR 1,073

80.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$655 MYR 2,656

151.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$467 MYR 1,894

162.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,765 MYR 7,157

122.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$896 MYR 3,631

621.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $389 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 – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $274 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 33%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,435 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $957 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 $957, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.