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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $643 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,124 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,605 in Kota Bharu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 100% 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 4% lower, Kota Bharu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$1.74 MYR 6.89

586.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$21.18 MYR 83.7

101.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$4.18 MYR 16.53

153.35%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.33 MYR 9.20

55.36%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.45 MYR 1.77

226.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.27 MYR 1.07

248.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$4.26 MYR 16.85

-27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$4.28 MYR 16.90

4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.51 MYR 5.95

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.81 MYR 3.19

132.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$0.85 MYR 3.34

91.76%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.47 MYR 5.82

79.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$15.28 MYR 60.4

-46.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$2.88 MYR 11.37

187.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$6.21 MYR 24.51

78.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.40 MYR 5.52

89.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.40 MYR 5.53

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.45 MYR 5.72

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$0.87 MYR 3.43

139.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.82 MYR 3.22

118.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.20 MYR 4.73

81.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.91 MYR 3.61

18.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.44 MYR 1.73

136.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.98 MYR 11.79

33.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$19.39 MYR 76.6

-47.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.42 MYR 5.61

21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.52 MYR 13.90

-28.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.69 MYR 2.73

-24.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$12.01 MYR 47.45

124.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.73 MYR 2.90

330.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.54 MYR 2.14

344.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$3.45 MYR 13.64

-10.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.47 MYR 1.84

170.21%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$31.1K MYR 122.8K

-0.64%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$27.3K MYR 107.7K

-14.45%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$39.38 MYR 156

108.25%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$8.08 MYR 31.92

177.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$26.98 MYR 107

9.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$36.25 MYR 143

43.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$5.81 MYR 22.93

221.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$4.30 MYR 16.98

15.58%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$119 MYR 470

66.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$6,108 MYR 24.1K

-13.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$52.6 MYR 208

-30.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$19.07 MYR 75.3

110.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$61.6 MYR 243

29.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$52.0 MYR 205

70.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$262 MYR 1,035

267.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$141 MYR 559

228.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$868 MYR 3,430

83.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$470 MYR 1,856

157.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$302 MYR 1,191

138.94%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kota Bharu: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 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 139% 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: $251 vs $203 – 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 100% 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $964 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 125% less in Kota Bharu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $119 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 $643, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $643 versus $1,287 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.