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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $919 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,411 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,902 in Labuan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Labuan 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.23 MYR 21.21

126.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$23.49 MYR 95.3

82.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.41 MYR 26.00

66.15%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.75 MYR 15.20

-8.00%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.03 MYR 4.19

45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.43 MYR 1.73

120.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.45 MYR 14.01

-12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.81 MYR 19.50

-4.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.62 MYR 6.56

-14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.93 MYR 3.78

98.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.25 MYR 5.05

28.80%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.06 MYR 8.33

25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$15.16 MYR 61.5

-45.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.41 MYR 17.87

89.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.56 MYR 38.75

11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.89 MYR 11.71

-9.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.45 MYR 5.86

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.59 MYR 10.49

-25.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.38 MYR 5.60

51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.23 MYR 4.97

51.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.33 MYR 5.40

69.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.05 MYR 4.24

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 MYR 2.09

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.26 MYR 17.28

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.78 MYR 76.2

-44.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.76 MYR 11.18

-37.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.97 MYR 12.03

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.73 MYR 2.97

-26.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$11.84 MYR 48.02

127.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.20 MYR 4.88

160.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.03 MYR 4.19

143.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.91 MYR 23.98

-46.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.50 MYR 2.03

154.00%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.7K MYR 144.6K

-14.85%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.4K MYR 127.3K

-24.91%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$43.07 MYR 175

92.71%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.16 MYR 37.16

147.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$28.91 MYR 117

1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.49 MYR 152

36.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$5.79 MYR 23.47

216.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.98 MYR 20.20

-1.00%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$186 MYR 754

6.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,044 MYR 28.6K

-25.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.8 MYR 242

-38.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$27.77 MYR 113

43.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$74.0 MYR 300

8.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$50.9 MYR 206

75.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$381 MYR 1,544

151.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$265 MYR 1,074

80.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$637 MYR 2,582

158.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$481 MYR 1,949

154.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,009 MYR 8,147

95.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$967 MYR 3,922

567.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$365 MYR 1,481

82.66%

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 Labuan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $381 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 83% 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 $23.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $249 per month, with Labuan 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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 83% 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 $381 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $186 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $919 in Labuan versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Labuan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.