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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $941 in Kepong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,363 in Kepong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,785 in Kepong, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 39% more than Kepong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kepong are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kepong 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.78 MYR 15.37

216.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$24.88 MYR 101

90.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.93 MYR 20.05

138.34%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.94 MYR 11.96

40.14%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.87 MYR 3.55

60.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.45 MYR 1.83

102.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.43 MYR 13.95

-6.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$5.96 MYR 24.24

18.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.75 MYR 7.12

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.03 MYR 4.19

108.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.45 MYR 5.91

22.07%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.79 MYR 7.28

57.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.74 MYR 39.64

-5.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.38 MYR 13.75

173.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.59 MYR 39.00

31.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.29 MYR 13.37

-10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.70 MYR 6.93

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.76 MYR 11.23

-19.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.63 MYR 6.62

44.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.44 MYR 5.84

38.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.73 MYR 7.02

14.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.38 MYR 5.59

-10.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.55 MYR 2.23

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.19 MYR 17.05

9.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$13.97 MYR 56.9

-24.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.69 MYR 10.94

-37.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.01 MYR 12.24

-7.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.68 MYR 2.77

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$12.20 MYR 49.63

143.44%

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

$0.38 MYR 1.55

860.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$9.27 MYR 37.70

-37.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.74 MYR 3.02

108.11%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$42.9K MYR 174.3K

-46.79%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$33.5K MYR 136.5K

-23.06%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$49.88 MYR 203

81.78%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$8.25 MYR 33.55

205.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$27.06 MYR 110

17.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$44.12 MYR 179

55.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$6.08 MYR 24.74

383.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.95 MYR 20.15

-1.82%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$167 MYR 680

35.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,520 MYR 18.4K

-7.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$61.4 MYR 250

-22.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$24.57 MYR 100.0

76.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$81.7 MYR 332

-1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$49.99 MYR 203

82.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$432 MYR 1,756

151.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$334 MYR 1,357

22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$701 MYR 2,852

181.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$497 MYR 2,023

157.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,099 MYR 8,538

92.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,117 MYR 4,543

500.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$669 MYR 2,720

15.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.06

182.02%

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 Kepong: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $432 in Kepong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Kepong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $229 – making Kepong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kepong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, $941 in Kepong – roughly 39% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,411 in Kepong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kepong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 143% less in Kepong. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $167 in Kepong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kepong, where all-in costs run around $941, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Kepong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $941 in Kepong to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kepong. 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.