Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Magelang

For one person, living is cheaper in Magelang: $522 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Magelang
Learn more

Magelang Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Magelang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Magelang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Magelang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $522 in Magelang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Magelang $522

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $829 in Magelang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Magelang $829

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,136 in Magelang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Magelang $1,136

Playa del Carmen costs about 131% more than Magelang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Magelang are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Magelang 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

674.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$807

$8.48 Rp 153.9K

411.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$2.54 Rp 46.1K

363.78%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.9

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

414.86%

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

$1.28 MX$23.87

$0.32 Rp 5,749

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.57

$0.17 Rp 3,098

358.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

143.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$2.65 Rp 48.0K

86.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.18

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.27

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

96.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.38

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

89.33%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.96

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

113.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.45 Rp 117.1K

12.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

240.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$6.95 Rp 126.1K

82.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.8

$2.03 Rp 36.8K

36.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.47

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

23.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.49

$1.24 Rp 22.6K

105.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.52

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

146.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.08

$1.00 Rp 18.2K

94.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.11

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

41.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.34

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.95

$0.36 Rp 6,478

227.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$1.92 Rp 34.8K

123.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$16.50 Rp 299.4K

-39.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.48

$1.53 Rp 27.7K

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.72

$2.12 Rp 38.4K

25.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.30

$0.29 Rp 5,325

89.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$495

$11.28 Rp 204.7K

135.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.5

$0.43 Rp 7,755

1055.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.0

$0.32 Rp 5,787

940.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.7

$2.18 Rp 39.5K

145.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.88

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

97.26%

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

$20.7K MX$384.7K

$25.4K Rp 460.5M

-18.57%

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

$23.5K MX$436.8K

$28.0K Rp 507.7M

-16.14%

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

$84.8 MX$1,578

$46.08 Rp 836.0K

84.01%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

491.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$533

$19.56 Rp 354.9K

46.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,062

$13.49 Rp 244.7K

322.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$538

$3.64 Rp 66.0K

694.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$2.54 Rp 46.1K

102.36%

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

$207 MX$3,845

$43.82 Rp 795.1K

371.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.1K

$3,925 Rp 71.2M

0.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$807

$19.01 Rp 345.0K

128.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$771

$19.05 Rp 345.6K

117.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,381

$57.2 Rp 1.0M

29.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,661

$51.7 Rp 937.3K

72.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$226 Rp 4.1M

332.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,089

$146 Rp 2.7M

160.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$561 Rp 10.2M

204.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$361 Rp 6.6M

197.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.4K

$1,159 Rp 21.0M

240.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.6K

$800 Rp 14.5M

669.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$170 Rp 3.1M

331.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.5

52.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Magelang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Magelang

$146 28.1% 61.6% $234

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Magelang

$165 31.6% 35.3% $90

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Magelang

$41 8% 79.5% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Magelang

$70 13.3% 49.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Magelang

$66 12.7% 40.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Magelang

$19 3.6% 72.4% $49

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Magelang

$14 2.8% 71.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $226 in Magelang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $8 in Magelang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $165 – making Magelang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Magelang

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

23:25 11:25 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

118,227

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18.62 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Magelang 17,650 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Magelang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Magelang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $522 in Magelang – roughly 131% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $782 in Magelang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Magelang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $8 in Magelang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Magelang, where all-in costs run around $522, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Magelang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Magelang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Magelang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.