Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kuala Lipis Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kuala Lipis

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $836 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,318 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,800 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 54% more than Kuala Lipis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kuala Lipis are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kuala Lipis 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.62 MYR 10.34

355.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$23.43 MYR 92.6

82.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.80 MYR 15.01

178.68%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.70 MYR 6.71

112.94%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.36 MYR 1.43

308.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.33 MYR 1.32

184.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$4.29 MYR 16.94

-27.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$5.52 MYR 21.80

-19.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.33 MYR 5.25

7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.60 MYR 2.37

213.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.68 MYR 2.68

139.71%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.43 MYR 5.66

84.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$22.00 MYR 86.9

-62.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.57 MYR 10.15

222.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.58 MYR 29.93

46.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$4.04 MYR 15.94

-34.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.72 MYR 6.81

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.33 MYR 13.16

-40.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.61 MYR 10.32

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.75 MYR 6.93

2.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.67 MYR 2.65

225.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.08 MYR 4.28

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.45 MYR 1.77

131.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.18 MYR 16.50

-5.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$19.85 MYR 78.4

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$4.39 MYR 17.35

-60.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$5.57 MYR 22.02

-55.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.74 MYR 2.93

-29.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$11.92 MYR 47.07

126.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.15 MYR 4.52

173.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.13 MYR 4.47

112.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$4.42 MYR 17.47

-30.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.49 MYR 1.95

159.18%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$43.9K MYR 173.4K

-29.65%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$12.9K MYR 51.1K

80.10%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$27.83 MYR 110

194.68%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.67 MYR 38.20

132.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$20.64 MYR 81.5

43.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$36.18 MYR 143

43.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$5.98 MYR 23.63

212.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.72 MYR 22.58

-13.11%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$118 MYR 465

68.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,371 MYR 17.3K

20.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$23.60 MYR 93.2

53.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$27.49 MYR 109

45.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$75.1 MYR 296

6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$72.0 MYR 284

23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$387 MYR 1,530

148.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$272 MYR 1,076

70.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$637 MYR 2,515

150.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$480 MYR 1,896

151.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,766 MYR 6,977

123.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$891 MYR 3,518

624.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$461 MYR 1,823

56.13%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lipis: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $387 in Kuala Lipis. 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 56% 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 $23.00 in Kuala Lipis. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $275 in Kuala Lipis – 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 Kuala Lipis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 54%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,253 in Kuala Lipis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $836 in Kuala Lipis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 126% less in Kuala Lipis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lipis, where all-in costs run around $836, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Kuala Lipis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lipis – 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 Kuala Lipis. 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.