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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $899 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,375 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,850 in Labuan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 40% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$203

$5.39 MYR 22.01

117.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$23.31 MYR 95.2

79.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.61 MYR 26.98

59.00%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$3.68 MYR 15.05

-2.45%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$1.03 MYR 4.21

46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.39 MYR 1.60

135.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.51 MYR 14.34

-15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$4.94 MYR 20.17

-10.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-15.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$1.02 MYR 4.15

84.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.25 MYR 5.09

24.80%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$2.13 MYR 8.70

22.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$14.98 MYR 61.2

-44.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.35 MYR 17.75

91.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.37 MYR 38.27

15.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$2.96 MYR 12.10

-8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.45 MYR 5.90

4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$2.61 MYR 10.68

-28.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$1.43 MYR 5.82

53.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$1.22 MYR 5.00

52.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$1.32 MYR 5.40

68.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$1.00 MYR 4.10

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.51 MYR 2.10

113.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$4.20 MYR 17.16

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$19.71 MYR 80.5

-47.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$2.76 MYR 11.26

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$2.92 MYR 11.93

-10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$11.86 MYR 48.45

120.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.17 MYR 4.77

163.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$1.03 MYR 4.22

133.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$6.02 MYR 24.58

-48.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$0.50 MYR 2.04

162.00%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$35.5K MYR 144.9K

-15.99%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$31.0K MYR 126.6K

-24.76%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$44.40 MYR 181

83.06%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$9.04 MYR 36.92

149.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$29.09 MYR 119

3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$36.80 MYR 150

43.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$5.87 MYR 23.97

213.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$4.97 MYR 20.31

-1.01%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$187 MYR 764

7.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$6,975 MYR 28.5K

-25.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$59.9 MYR 244

-40.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$26.87 MYR 110

49.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$71.7 MYR 293

11.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$51.3 MYR 210

68.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$385 MYR 1,573

153.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$272 MYR 1,110

73.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$654 MYR 2,672

152.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$480 MYR 1,959

150.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$2,233 MYR 9,117

77.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$1,011 MYR 4,128

553.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$362 MYR 1,480

86.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Labuan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $385 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 87% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Labuan. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $385 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $187 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $899 in Labuan versus $1,260 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 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.