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 $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,003 in Kulim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,508 in Kulim, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,014 in Kulim, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 26% more than Kulim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kulim are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kulim 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$2.61 MYR 10.66

357.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$23.18 MYR 94.8

80.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$3.84 MYR 15.71

171.35%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$2.23 MYR 9.10

57.40%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$0.71 MYR 2.92

114.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.34 MYR 1.37

167.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$4.30 MYR 17.59

-29.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$5.32 MYR 21.74

-17.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$1.89 MYR 7.71

-24.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$1.13 MYR 4.62

61.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$1.44 MYR 5.87

13.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$1.84 MYR 7.53

38.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$22.46 MYR 91.8

-61.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.76 MYR 19.44

78.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$10.41 MYR 42.55

3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$4.06 MYR 16.61

-32.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$1.69 MYR 6.90

-14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$3.46 MYR 14.15

-45.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$2.66 MYR 10.88

-18.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$1.74 MYR 7.13

2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$0.99 MYR 4.05

124.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$1.11 MYR 4.56

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.56 MYR 2.27

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$4.35 MYR 17.77

-4.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$16.46 MYR 67.3

-36.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$4.21 MYR 17.21

-58.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$5.65 MYR 23.11

-54.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$0.49 MYR 2.01

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

$11.98 MYR 48.96

116.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$1.19 MYR 4.88

169.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.99 MYR 4.05

152.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$4.42 MYR 18.08

-27.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.47 MYR 1.92

168.09%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$44.1K MYR 180.2K

-32.66%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$31.0K MYR 126.5K

-23.49%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$75.6 MYR 309

8.48%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$9.93 MYR 40.58

128.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$28.60 MYR 117

2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$37.15 MYR 152

40.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

$5.85 MYR 23.93

215.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$5.62 MYR 22.97

-12.28%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$117 MYR 478

72.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$4,247 MYR 17.4K

22.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$108 MYR 442

-66.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$27.39 MYR 112

47.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$74.9 MYR 306

6.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$78.5 MYR 321

13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$390 MYR 1,595

143.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$271 MYR 1,106

71.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$657 MYR 2,687

147.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$467 MYR 1,909

155.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

$1,759 MYR 7,191

123.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

$1,263 MYR 5,161

409.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Kulim: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $390 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Kulim. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $307 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 26% 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,504 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 22% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 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 $1,003, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. 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 $1,003 versus $1,259 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.