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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $704 in Kuala Terengganu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,143 in Kuala Terengganu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,582 in Kuala Terengganu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 83% more expensive than Kuala Terengganu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kuala Terengganu 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$2.33 MYR 9.20

412.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$22.44 MYR 88.6

90.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$4.41 MYR 17.41

140.14%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.99 MYR 11.79

21.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.44 MYR 1.73

234.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.25 MYR 0.98

276.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$3.55 MYR 14.03

-12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$5.04 MYR 19.90

-11.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.50 MYR 5.94

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.96 MYR 3.78

95.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.26 MYR 4.96

29.37%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.05 MYR 8.09

28.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$15.13 MYR 59.8

-45.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.37 MYR 17.28

89.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$9.39 MYR 37.11

18.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.85 MYR 11.25

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.53 MYR 6.05

-1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.53 MYR 10.00

-21.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.44 MYR 5.69

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.24 MYR 4.88

44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.32 MYR 5.20

65.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.00 MYR 3.94

8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.53 MYR 2.09

96.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.31 MYR 17.02

-7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$20.59 MYR 81.3

-50.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.76 MYR 10.89

-37.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.97 MYR 11.72

-15.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.68 MYR 2.70

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$11.93 MYR 47.14

126.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.21 MYR 4.79

159.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.03 MYR 4.05

133.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.01 MYR 23.75

-48.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.49 MYR 1.95

159.18%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$35.0K MYR 138.3K

-11.80%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$31.8K MYR 125.8K

-26.77%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$43.02 MYR 170

90.63%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$9.15 MYR 36.16

145.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$28.58 MYR 113

3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$37.22 MYR 147

39.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$5.82 MYR 23.01

220.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$5.06 MYR 20.00

-1.78%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$188 MYR 743

5.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$7,040 MYR 27.8K

-25.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$59.8 MYR 236

-39.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$26.88 MYR 106

49.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$72.4 MYR 286

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$51.4 MYR 203

72.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$204 MYR 806

371.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$118 MYR 466

293.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$634 MYR 2,506

151.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$269 MYR 1,063

349.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,780 MYR 7,029

121.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$889 MYR 3,513

625.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$497 MYR 1,964

44.91%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $204 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 45% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Kuala Terengganu. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 83% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $704 including rent). Kuala Terengganu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 45% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $204 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $704 in Kuala Terengganu – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Terengganu runs roughly 126% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $704 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,287 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 83% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.