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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,038 in Lumut, Perak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,500 in Lumut, Perak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,962 in Lumut, Perak.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 28% more expensive than in Lumut, Perak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Lumut, Perak 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$3.63 MYR 14.66

258.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$12.20 MYR 49.29

279.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$4.96 MYR 20.02

153.83%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.85 MYR 11.50

40.35%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.80 MYR 3.24

77.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.35 MYR 1.42

131.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$3.93 MYR 15.87

-22.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$6.07 MYR 24.53

12.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$2.11 MYR 8.53

-18.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.14 MYR 4.61

94.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.90 MYR 7.68

-9.47%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.52 MYR 10.18

7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$15.64 MYR 63.2

-40.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.79 MYR 19.35

84.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$9.83 MYR 39.72

30.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.38 MYR 13.66

-7.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.90 MYR 7.69

-18.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.46 MYR 9.92

-12.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.68 MYR 6.77

39.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.36 MYR 5.50

48.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.44 MYR 5.80

38.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.16 MYR 4.70

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.69 MYR 2.78

72.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$4.39 MYR 17.72

5.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$19.16 MYR 77.4

-45.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$3.55 MYR 14.36

-55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$4.79 MYR 19.34

-39.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.75 MYR 3.04

-25.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$12.83 MYR 51.8

131.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.25 MYR 5.05

325.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.48 MYR 1.95

675.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$4.99 MYR 20.15

15.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.83 MYR 3.35

86.75%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$41.2K MYR 166.4K

-45.67%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$35.0K MYR 141.5K

-26.98%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$65.3 MYR 264

36.79%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$8.88 MYR 35.86

162.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$26.30 MYR 106

20.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$43.74 MYR 177

57.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$7.28 MYR 29.41

303.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$5.48 MYR 22.12

-7.66%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$283 MYR 1,142

-21.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$4,854 MYR 19.6K

-11.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$70.1 MYR 283

-34.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$42.61 MYR 172

4.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$90.1 MYR 364

5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$97.8 MYR 395

-5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$436 MYR 1,762

145.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$349 MYR 1,409

12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$715 MYR 2,889

178.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$491 MYR 1,985

165.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$1,989 MYR 8,036

102.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,251 MYR 5,055

429.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$385 MYR 1,557

93.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

4.22

174.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Lumut, Perak: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $436 in Lumut, Perak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 94% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Lumut, Perak. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $283, 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 28% 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.

Average pay runs 94% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $436 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,038 in Lumut, Perak – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,038 in Lumut, Perak versus $1,330 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 $1,038 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 28% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.