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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $724 in Kuala Terengganu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,162 in Kuala Terengganu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,599 in Kuala Terengganu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 75% more expensive than Kuala Terengganu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kuala Terengganu 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.38 MYR 9.66

398.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$22.42 MYR 90.9

91.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.40 MYR 17.83

142.05%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.82 MYR 11.44

22.34%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.47 MYR 1.92

219.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.25 MYR 1.01

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.48 MYR 14.10

-12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.85 MYR 19.65

-4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.49 MYR 6.05

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.02 MYR 4.13

81.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.28 MYR 5.20

25.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.06 MYR 8.35

25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$14.77 MYR 59.9

-44.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.43 MYR 17.97

88.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.41 MYR 38.17

13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.87 MYR 11.64

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.46 MYR 5.91

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.50 MYR 10.13

-23.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.37 MYR 5.57

52.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.24 MYR 5.03

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.32 MYR 5.34

71.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.99 MYR 4.03

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.53 MYR 2.14

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.22 MYR 17.12

-1.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.00 MYR 73.0

-42.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.81 MYR 11.40

-38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.99 MYR 12.11

-12.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.73 MYR 2.96

-26.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$11.65 MYR 47.26

131.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.19 MYR 4.84

163.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.03 MYR 4.18

143.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.00 MYR 24.31

-47.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.50 MYR 2.04

154.00%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.9K MYR 145.7K

-15.48%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.0K MYR 125.6K

-23.94%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$42.89 MYR 174

93.52%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.23 MYR 37.41

146.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.87 MYR 117

2.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.48 MYR 152

36.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$6.01 MYR 24.37

204.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.92 MYR 19.96

0.20%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$188 MYR 764

4.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,856 MYR 27.8K

-22.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$61.3 MYR 249

-39.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$27.54 MYR 112

44.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$74.0 MYR 300

8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$50.5 MYR 205

77.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$197 MYR 800

384.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$120 MYR 485

298.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$647 MYR 2,623

154.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$268 MYR 1,089

356.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,970 MYR 7,989

98.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$945 MYR 3,830

583.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$488 MYR 1,980

36.58%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $197 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 37% 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $246 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 75% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $724 including rent). Kuala Terengganu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 37% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $197 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $724 in Kuala Terengganu – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Terengganu runs roughly 131% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $724 in Kuala Terengganu versus $1,271 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 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.