Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Makassar Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Makassar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $665 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,003 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,341 in Makassar.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 89% more expensive than in Makassar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Makassar 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.03 Rp 54.3K

295.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$9.36 Rp 167.9K

346.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$3.00 Rp 53.9K

258.33%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

94.44%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

123.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.40 Rp 7,137

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$3.61 Rp 64.7K

-18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$3.63 Rp 65.1K

24.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.63 Rp 29.3K

-12.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

145.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

75.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.37 Rp 96.4K

54.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

197.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$4.26 Rp 76.4K

150.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

17.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.59 Rp 28.5K

-9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.83 Rp 32.7K

7.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

33.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.25 Rp 22.5K

48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.45 Rp 7,996

128.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.47 Rp 8,467

127.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$2.52 Rp 45.2K

62.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$22.33 Rp 400.6K

-54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

-16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

4.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.30 Rp 5,294

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$4.56 Rp 81.9K

471.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

476.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.29 Rp 5,126

731.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.13 Rp 56.1K

3.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

69.23%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$16.7K Rp 299.7M

77.75%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$18.4K Rp 330.9M

28.29%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$66.8 Rp 1.2M

22.73%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$3.59 Rp 64.4K

539.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$32.49 Rp 582.8K

-7.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$23.23 Rp 416.7K

123.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$6.09 Rp 109.3K

204.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$3.15 Rp 56.5K

58.10%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$106 Rp 1.9M

85.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$4,103 Rp 73.6M

30.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$29.14 Rp 522.7K

22.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$25.17 Rp 451.6K

60.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$83.2 Rp 1.5M

-5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$43.19 Rp 774.8K

105.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$214 Rp 3.8M

341.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$168 Rp 3.0M

182.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$425 Rp 7.6M

286.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$338 Rp 6.1M

257.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,355 Rp 24.3M

199.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$545 Rp 9.8M

1086.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$209 Rp 3.7M

213.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

90.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Makassar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $214 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 213% 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 $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $188 per month, with Makassar 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 Makassar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makassar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 213% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $214 in Makassar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 471% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $106 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $665 in Makassar versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makassar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $665 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makassar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.