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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $578 in Mataram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $867 in Mataram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,157 in Mataram.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 120% more expensive than Mataram, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mataram 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

1019.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$11.01 Rp 197.3K

289.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

353.19%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

84.49%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.54 Rp 9,705

177.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.36 Rp 6,486

163.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.54 Rp 45.4K

19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

22.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.54 Rp 27.6K

-10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.67 Rp 30.0K

10.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

93.98%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.43 Rp 25.5K

81.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.19 Rp 57.2K

158.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.59 Rp 64.2K

133.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

74.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.64 Rp 29.4K

60.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.26 Rp 22.7K

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.85 Rp 33.2K

3.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

178.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.84 Rp 15.0K

121.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.88 Rp 33.7K

20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.48 Rp 8,621

120.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.34 Rp 6,097

220.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

130.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$15.23 Rp 272.9K

-31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.39 Rp 42.8K

-28.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.80 Rp 68.1K

-31.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.64 Rp 11.4K

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$18.26 Rp 327.2K

47.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.51 Rp 9,057

513.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.29 Rp 5,136

765.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

5.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

98.44%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$23.2K Rp 415.3M

31.02%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.1K Rp 486.3M

-13.18%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$50.4 Rp 902.3K

64.81%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.25 Rp 76.2K

434.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$19.16 Rp 343.3K

53.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$26.28 Rp 470.9K

94.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$7.75 Rp 138.9K

136.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$2.19 Rp 39.2K

125.11%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$90.9 Rp 1.6M

117.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,244 Rp 76.0M

24.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$37.49 Rp 671.7K

-1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$24.39 Rp 437.0K

63.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$61.0 Rp 1.1M

31.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$40.32 Rp 722.3K

121.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$77.1 Rp 1.4M

1141.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$127 Rp 2.3M

275.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$156 Rp 2.8M

956.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$257 Rp 4.6M

377.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,135 Rp 20.3M

245.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$700 Rp 12.5M

823.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$197 Rp 3.5M

239.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

26.89%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mataram: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $77.1 in Mataram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 239% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Mataram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $176 per month, with Mataram 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 Mataram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Mataram differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $578 including rent). Mataram is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 239% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $77.1 in Mataram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mataram – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $578 in Mataram versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mataram but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mataram the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mataram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.