Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kota Bharu Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kota Bharu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $654 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,135 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,616 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 94% more than Kota Bharu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kota Bharu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kota Bharu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.73 MYR 7.02

586.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$738

$21.23 MYR 85.9

102.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.15 MYR 16.80

156.63%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.3

$2.43 MYR 9.82

41.98%

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

$1.50 MX$25.88

$0.48 MYR 1.94

212.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.33

$0.25 MYR 1.01

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.1

$4.36 MYR 17.65

-30.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.3

$4.30 MYR 17.40

7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.68

$1.55 MYR 6.29

-10.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.80

$0.80 MYR 3.24

131.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.73

$0.78 MYR 3.15

106.41%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.64

$1.55 MYR 6.26

67.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$15.28 MYR 61.9

-45.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.90 MYR 11.73

188.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$184

$6.16 MYR 24.94

73.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.25

$1.45 MYR 5.85

81.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.61

$1.43 MYR 5.78

4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.04

$1.40 MYR 5.66

37.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.91

$0.85 MYR 3.43

145.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.97

$0.82 MYR 3.31

126.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.15 MYR 4.67

96.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.29

$0.91 MYR 3.67

16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.72

$0.43 MYR 1.76

153.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.4

$2.96 MYR 12.00

40.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$179

$19.42 MYR 78.6

-46.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.68

$1.43 MYR 5.78

20.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.98

$3.54 MYR 14.33

-26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.32

$0.69 MYR 2.81

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$464

$11.59 MYR 46.91

132.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.8

$0.68 MYR 2.74

360.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.21

$0.53 MYR 2.15

373.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.2

$3.61 MYR 14.63

-12.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.95

$0.50 MYR 2.03

154.00%

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

$30.4K MX$522.8K

$30.7K MYR 124.1K

-0.93%

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

$23.6K MX$405.6K

$27.6K MYR 111.8K

-14.69%

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

$83.0 MX$1,429

$38.47 MYR 156

115.75%

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

$22.71 MX$391

$8.49 MYR 34.36

167.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$507

$26.12 MYR 106

12.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$878

$37.20 MYR 151

37.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$316

$5.79 MYR 23.44

216.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.8

$4.13 MYR 16.70

19.37%

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

$197 MX$3,396

$116 MYR 469

70.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.9K

$6,186 MYR 25.0K

-14.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$635

$53.5 MYR 217

-31.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$687

$19.18 MYR 77.7

107.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,377

$60.9 MYR 247

31.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,540

$53.3 MYR 216

67.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.5K

$255 MYR 1,031

275.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,212

$140 MYR 566

240.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$846 MYR 3,424

94.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.1K

$474 MYR 1,917

158.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$111.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.5K

$303 MYR 1,226

120.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.16

174.52%

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 Kota Bharu: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $255 in Kota Bharu. 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 120% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Kota Bharu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $204 – making Kota Bharu 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 Kota Bharu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 94% more than Kota Bharu, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $981 in Kota Bharu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 132% less in Kota Bharu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $116 in Kota Bharu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Kota Bharu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kota Bharu costs $654 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kota Bharu. 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.