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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $976 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,496 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,016 in Labuan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Labuan 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.49 MYR 22.41

111.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$25.04 MYR 102

88.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.84 MYR 27.92

73.68%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.99 MYR 16.28

-0.25%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.07 MYR 4.37

33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.42 MYR 1.69

95.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$4.11 MYR 16.77

-22.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.77 MYR 15.37

80.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.77 MYR 7.23

-5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.09 MYR 4.45

101.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.43 MYR 5.84

19.58%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.91 MYR 7.78

43.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$16.99 MYR 69.3

-43.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.54 MYR 18.50

98.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.91 MYR 40.43

29.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.11 MYR 12.71

-7.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.84 MYR 7.49

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.38 MYR 9.71

-9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.39 MYR 5.66

62.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.34 MYR 5.48

47.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.22 MYR 4.97

63.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.14 MYR 4.66

7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.53 MYR 2.15

126.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$21.54 MYR 87.9

-51.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.53 MYR 10.32

-35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$3.39 MYR 13.81

-15.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.84 MYR 3.45

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$13.20 MYR 53.9

118.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.41 MYR 5.77

282.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.50 MYR 2.02

646.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$7.83 MYR 31.96

-26.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.78 MYR 3.18

97.44%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$43.6K MYR 178.0K

-48.31%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$31.3K MYR 127.5K

-16.62%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$50.1 MYR 204

82.32%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$9.61 MYR 39.18

162.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$28.20 MYR 115

10.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$43.96 MYR 179

52.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$6.76 MYR 27.58

330.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.46 MYR 18.21

8.97%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$194 MYR 790

15.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$4,758 MYR 19.4K

-11.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$60.6 MYR 247

-22.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$34.51 MYR 141

28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$80.3 MYR 328

-0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$72.1 MYR 294

28.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$452 MYR 1,845

134.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$311 MYR 1,270

25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$701 MYR 2,858

206.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$521 MYR 2,124

144.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,900 MYR 7,751

110.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,043 MYR 4,255

523.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$375 MYR 1,531

102.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.2

172.62%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Labuan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $452 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 102% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $268 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 102% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $194 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $976 in Labuan versus $1,266 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 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.