Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kulim Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kulim

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $981 in Kulim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,514 in Kulim, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,048 in Kulim, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Kulim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kulim are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kulim 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$2.54 MYR 10.31

367.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$23.96 MYR 97.2

79.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$3.82 MYR 15.52

178.80%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.26 MYR 9.17

52.65%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$0.74 MYR 3.00

102.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.36 MYR 1.47

163.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$4.33 MYR 17.58

-30.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$5.27 MYR 21.37

-12.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.91 MYR 7.77

-27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.13 MYR 4.59

63.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.43 MYR 5.81

12.59%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$1.85 MYR 7.50

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$22.18 MYR 90.0

-62.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$4.97 MYR 20.17

68.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$10.66 MYR 43.25

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$3.84 MYR 15.59

-31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.70 MYR 6.89

-12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$3.41 MYR 13.86

-43.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$2.56 MYR 10.40

-18.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$1.76 MYR 7.14

5.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$1.05 MYR 4.25

115.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$1.07 MYR 4.34

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.55 MYR 2.24

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$4.15 MYR 16.84

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$17.62 MYR 71.5

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$4.20 MYR 17.04

-59.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$5.38 MYR 21.84

-51.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.53 MYR 2.17

1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$11.77 MYR 47.75

128.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$1.21 MYR 4.90

158.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$1.03 MYR 4.16

143.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$4.39 MYR 17.80

-28.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$0.50 MYR 2.03

154.00%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$44.1K MYR 179.0K

-31.14%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$31.6K MYR 128.2K

-25.40%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$73.0 MYR 296

13.73%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$9.90 MYR 40.18

129.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$28.12 MYR 114

4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$36.80 MYR 149

38.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

$5.71 MYR 23.19

221.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$5.61 MYR 22.76

-12.12%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$117 MYR 476

68.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$4,336 MYR 17.6K

21.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$112 MYR 453

-66.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$27.79 MYR 113

43.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$74.1 MYR 301

8.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$79.0 MYR 321

13.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$383 MYR 1,556

149.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$266 MYR 1,079

79.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$638 MYR 2,587

158.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$474 MYR 1,924

158.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$2,197 MYR 8,917

78.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$972 MYR 3,946

564.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kulim: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $383 in Kulim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Kulim. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $308 in Kulim – 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 Kulim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Kulim, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,471 in Kulim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 in Kulim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kulim, where all-in costs run around $981, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Kulim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kulim costs $981 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kulim. 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.