Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lumut, Perak Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lumut, Perak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $931 in Lumut, Perak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,400 in Lumut, Perak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,870 in Lumut, Perak.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 39% more expensive than Lumut, Perak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Lumut, Perak 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$3.62 MYR 14.71

224.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$11.98 MYR 48.70

248.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$4.82 MYR 19.58

115.98%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.78 MYR 11.29

29.86%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.79 MYR 3.23

84.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.33 MYR 1.36

193.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$3.69 MYR 15.02

-20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$5.99 MYR 24.34

-22.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$2.02 MYR 8.20

-29.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.06 MYR 4.31

79.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.67 MYR 6.77

-5.99%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.25 MYR 9.14

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$14.67 MYR 59.6

-42.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$4.72 MYR 19.21

81.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$9.76 MYR 39.68

12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.98 MYR 12.11

-9.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.56 MYR 6.33

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.60 MYR 10.58

-26.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.52 MYR 6.18

42.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.23 MYR 5.02

52.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.35 MYR 5.48

65.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.67 MYR 2.71

59.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.22 MYR 17.14

-1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$18.80 MYR 76.4

-45.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$3.35 MYR 13.63

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$4.22 MYR 17.17

-40.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.72 MYR 2.93

-23.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$12.00 MYR 48.79

119.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.20 MYR 4.87

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.15 MYR 4.68

113.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.83 MYR 19.64

-33.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.50 MYR 2.05

164.00%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$40.8K MYR 165.7K

-26.01%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$32.0K MYR 129.9K

-26.79%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$65.6 MYR 267

24.08%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$11.50 MYR 46.73

94.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$25.84 MYR 105

15.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$36.48 MYR 148

41.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$5.93 MYR 24.12

210.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.04 MYR 20.48

2.38%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$267 MYR 1,087

-24.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$9,247 MYR 37.6K

-42.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$61.9 MYR 252

-42.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$37.59 MYR 153

7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$85.4 MYR 347

-7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$80.8 MYR 329

7.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$380 MYR 1,546

149.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$269 MYR 1,092

78.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$633 MYR 2,572

156.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$473 MYR 1,921

158.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,797 MYR 7,304

123.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$912 MYR 3,706

609.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$382 MYR 1,555

75.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.47

155.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lumut, Perak: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $380 in Lumut, Perak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% 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 $12.00 in Lumut, Perak. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $268, 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 Lumut, Perak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lumut, Perak wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lumut, Perak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $380 in Lumut, Perak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lumut, Perak – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $931 in Lumut, Perak – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $931 in Lumut, Perak versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lumut, Perak but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lumut, Perak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lumut, Perak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $931 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lumut, Perak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Lumut, Perak 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 Lumut, Perak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.