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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $973 in Kulim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,404 in Kulim, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,836 in Kulim, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 34% 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 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.37 MYR 13.72

254.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$15.11 MYR 61.5

213.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.04 MYR 20.50

133.13%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.77 MYR 11.28

48.74%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.99 MYR 4.01

41.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.35 MYR 1.43

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.50 MYR 10.16

28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.34 MYR 17.65

62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.50 MYR 10.16

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.32 MYR 5.35

62.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.69 MYR 6.89

4.73%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.63 MYR 10.70

7.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.98 MYR 65.0

-42.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.94 MYR 20.09

86.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.12 MYR 41.17

24.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.34 MYR 9.51

26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.47 MYR 5.98

7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.29 MYR 9.32

-3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.25 MYR 5.10

88.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.95 MYR 3.87

109.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.81 MYR 3.31

144.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.71 MYR 2.87

74.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.69 MYR 2.80

75.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.65 MYR 18.93

-1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$21.75 MYR 88.5

-51.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.41 MYR 9.80

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.80 MYR 15.45

-27.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.75 MYR 3.07

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$12.53 MYR 51.0

137.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.22 MYR 4.98

329.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.49 MYR 1.99

644.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$6.63 MYR 26.96

-12.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.83 MYR 3.36

85.54%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$42.6K MYR 173.2K

-46.43%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$28.2K MYR 114.6K

-8.33%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$50.6 MYR 206

79.15%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$8.30 MYR 33.77

203.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$32.18 MYR 131

-1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$41.17 MYR 167

67.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$6.48 MYR 26.37

353.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.85 MYR 19.71

0.21%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$173 MYR 704

30.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,925 MYR 20.0K

-14.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$53.6 MYR 218

-11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$35.11 MYR 143

23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$74.2 MYR 302

8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$70.7 MYR 287

29.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$430 MYR 1,747

152.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$325 MYR 1,323

25.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$708 MYR 2,880

178.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$489 MYR 1,991

161.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,030 MYR 8,257

99.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,147 MYR 4,665

484.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.43

158.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kulim: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $430 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Kulim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $273 – making Kulim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 34% 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,459 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.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $15.00 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 $973, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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 $973 versus $1,305 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.