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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $711 in Kuala Terengganu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,145 in Kuala Terengganu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,578 in Kuala Terengganu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 77% more expensive than in Kuala Terengganu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kuala Terengganu 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$2.40 MYR 9.78

388.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$22.16 MYR 90.5

89.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.47 MYR 18.23

135.12%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.85 MYR 11.66

25.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$0.47 MYR 1.92

221.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.25 MYR 1.02

268.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.59 MYR 14.67

-17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$4.98 MYR 20.33

-11.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.54 MYR 6.30

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$0.94 MYR 3.85

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.29 MYR 5.27

20.93%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$2.14 MYR 8.73

21.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$15.08 MYR 61.6

-44.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.38 MYR 17.89

90.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.19 MYR 37.51

18.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$2.86 MYR 11.68

-5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.48 MYR 6.04

2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$2.59 MYR 10.57

-27.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$1.39 MYR 5.66

57.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$1.24 MYR 5.06

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$1.26 MYR 5.16

76.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$1.00 MYR 4.07

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.56 MYR 2.27

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$4.33 MYR 17.67

-3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$20.17 MYR 82.4

-48.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$2.73 MYR 11.16

-39.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$3.00 MYR 12.26

-13.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.69 MYR 2.82

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$11.69 MYR 47.75

123.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.15 MYR 4.71

167.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$0.99 MYR 4.03

142.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$5.83 MYR 23.82

-46.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$0.50 MYR 2.04

162.00%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$35.6K MYR 145.4K

-16.28%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$31.2K MYR 127.4K

-25.27%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$44.19 MYR 180

83.93%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$9.07 MYR 37.05

148.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$29.66 MYR 121

1.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$37.07 MYR 151

42.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$5.95 MYR 24.31

209.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$5.08 MYR 20.76

-3.15%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$185 MYR 755

8.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$7,005 MYR 28.6K

-26.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$59.7 MYR 244

-39.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$27.38 MYR 112

46.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$73.1 MYR 299

8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$51.0 MYR 208

69.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$202 MYR 827

383.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$118 MYR 480

299.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$643 MYR 2,625

156.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$275 MYR 1,124

337.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$2,022 MYR 8,257

95.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$1,161 MYR 4,743

468.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$483 MYR 1,971

40.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.07

180.59%

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 Terengganu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $202 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Kuala Terengganu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $251 per month, with Kuala Terengganu cheaper across the board.

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 Terengganu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kuala Terengganu differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $711 including rent). Kuala Terengganu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $202 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $711 in Kuala Terengganu – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Terengganu runs roughly 124% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $711 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuala Terengganu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Terengganu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kuala Terengganu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kuala Terengganu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.