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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $893 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,380 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,868 in Labuan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 44% more expensive than Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Labuan 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.18 MYR 20.48

130.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$23.52 MYR 92.9

81.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.35 MYR 25.08

66.77%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.65 MYR 14.42

-0.82%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.04 MYR 4.09

41.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.39 MYR 1.55

141.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$3.45 MYR 13.62

-10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.89 MYR 19.32

-8.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.61 MYR 6.37

-11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.96 MYR 3.78

95.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.25 MYR 4.95

30.40%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.03 MYR 8.03

30.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$15.01 MYR 59.3

-45.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.30 MYR 16.99

92.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.28 MYR 36.67

19.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.85 MYR 11.27

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.52 MYR 6.01

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.54 MYR 10.03

-21.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.42 MYR 5.61

46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.23 MYR 4.84

45.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.31 MYR 5.18

66.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.04 MYR 4.10

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.55 MYR 2.19

89.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.32 MYR 17.05

-8.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$19.41 MYR 76.7

-47.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.87 MYR 11.35

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.87 MYR 11.33

-12.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.73 MYR 2.89

-28.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$11.97 MYR 47.29

125.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.16 MYR 4.59

170.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.03 MYR 4.05

133.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.77 MYR 22.80

-46.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.46 MYR 1.83

176.09%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.9K MYR 141.7K

-13.90%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$31.7K MYR 125.2K

-26.43%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$43.85 MYR 173

87.02%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$8.89 MYR 35.12

152.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$29.14 MYR 115

1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$36.62 MYR 145

41.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$5.80 MYR 22.90

221.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.94 MYR 19.50

0.61%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$188 MYR 743

5.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,026 MYR 27.8K

-24.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$59.9 MYR 237

-39.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$27.76 MYR 110

44.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$73.2 MYR 289

9.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$51.4 MYR 203

73.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$385 MYR 1,522

149.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$266 MYR 1,051

74.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$639 MYR 2,524

149.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$474 MYR 1,871

155.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,551 MYR 6,126

154.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$776 MYR 3,065

730.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$376 MYR 1,484

91.70%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Labuan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $385 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 92% 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 $24.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $250 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 92% 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: $963 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 $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $188 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 $893 in Labuan versus $1,287 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 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.