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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $644 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $980 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,317 in Makassar.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 97% more expensive than in Makassar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Makassar 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$1.65 Rp 29.3K

603.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$9.03 Rp 159.8K

421.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.21 Rp 56.9K

270.09%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.99 Rp 35.3K

100.00%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.50 Rp 8,874

186.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.34 Rp 6,003

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.59 Rp 45.8K

23.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.27 Rp 58.0K

107.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.62 Rp 28.6K

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.00 Rp 17.7K

120.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.61 Rp 10.8K

180.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.50 Rp 26.6K

82.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.60 Rp 116.8K

45.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.51 Rp 62.1K

156.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$5.28 Rp 93.6K

142.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

20.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.39 Rp 24.7K

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.94 Rp 34.4K

10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.79 Rp 31.6K

26.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.14 Rp 20.2K

73.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.60 Rp 28.3K

24.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

53.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.40 Rp 7,020

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$2.69 Rp 47.6K

69.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$22.97 Rp 406.7K

-54.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.84 Rp 32.6K

-11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.30 Rp 40.7K

25.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.27 Rp 4,734

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$4.35 Rp 77.0K

562.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.51 Rp 9,032

956.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.36 Rp 6,314

936.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$2.89 Rp 51.2K

99.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.79 Rp 14.0K

94.94%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$15.7K Rp 277.8M

43.75%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$16.9K Rp 299.4M

54.09%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$90.0 Rp 1.6M

1.53%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$2.61 Rp 46.2K

865.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$25.25 Rp 447.2K

23.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$21.32 Rp 377.5K

215.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$23.06 Rp 408.3K

26.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.50 Rp 62.0K

38.86%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$94.9 Rp 1.7M

135.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,893 Rp 68.9M

8.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$27.74 Rp 491.2K

69.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$24.02 Rp 425.4K

84.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$74.9 Rp 1.3M

7.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$40.90 Rp 724.2K

126.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$195 Rp 3.4M

445.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$152 Rp 2.7M

157.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$403 Rp 7.1M

432.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$313 Rp 5.5M

305.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,438 Rp 25.5M

178.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$572 Rp 10.1M

1036.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$218 Rp 3.9M

247.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

90.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Makassar: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $195 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 248% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $199 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 97% 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 248% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $195 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 562% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $94.9 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $644 in Makassar versus $1,266 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 $644 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 97% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.