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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $860 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,322 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,785 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 47% 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 5% lower, Kuala Lipis 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.55 MYR 10.43

359.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$23.67 MYR 96.7

76.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.68 MYR 15.04

185.60%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.69 MYR 6.89

112.43%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.36 MYR 1.48

319.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.36 MYR 1.48

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$4.12 MYR 16.84

-28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$5.32 MYR 21.70

-17.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.33 MYR 5.43

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.61 MYR 2.50

208.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.68 MYR 2.79

129.41%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.44 MYR 5.88

81.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$22.21 MYR 90.7

-62.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.65 MYR 10.80

215.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.41 MYR 30.25

46.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$4.02 MYR 16.40

-32.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.69 MYR 6.90

-10.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.46 MYR 14.12

-45.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.53 MYR 10.32

-13.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.75 MYR 7.13

6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.72 MYR 2.95

209.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.08 MYR 4.42

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.45 MYR 1.84

142.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.15 MYR 16.94

0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$19.40 MYR 79.2

-46.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-61.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$5.61 MYR 22.90

-53.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.69 MYR 2.82

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$11.95 MYR 48.79

118.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.15 MYR 4.69

167.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.11 MYR 4.53

116.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.31 MYR 17.61

-27.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.46 MYR 1.88

184.78%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$43.0K MYR 175.6K

-30.68%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$13.2K MYR 53.9K

76.51%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$28.16 MYR 115

188.64%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$10.00 MYR 40.83

125.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$20.71 MYR 84.6

45.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$36.38 MYR 149

45.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$5.93 MYR 24.22

210.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.64 MYR 23.04

-12.77%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$120 MYR 490

67.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,274 MYR 17.4K

21.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$23.58 MYR 96.3

52.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$27.53 MYR 112

45.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$75.9 MYR 310

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$71.3 MYR 291

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$392 MYR 1,600

149.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$268 MYR 1,096

75.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$644 MYR 2,631

156.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$474 MYR 1,934

154.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,080 MYR 8,495

90.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,130 MYR 4,614

484.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$444 MYR 1,814

52.32%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lipis: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $392 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 52% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Kuala Lipis. Groceries tell a different story – $252 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 47%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,290 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $860 in Kuala Lipis. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 119% 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 $860, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.