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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $577 in Mataram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $888 in Mataram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,200 in Mataram.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 123% more expensive than Mataram, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Mataram 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$1.05 Rp 18.3K

1037.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$11.02 Rp 190.9K

287.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$2.25 Rp 39.0K

370.67%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.87 Rp 32.4K

93.58%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.55 Rp 9,529

167.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.36 Rp 6,243

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.63 Rp 45.6K

17.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.78 Rp 65.6K

17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.56 Rp 27.0K

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.68 Rp 29.1K

11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.83 Rp 14.4K

96.39%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.36 Rp 23.6K

94.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$3.32 Rp 57.5K

147.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.53 Rp 61.2K

134.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.29 Rp 109.1K

76.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.70 Rp 29.5K

55.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.21 Rp 21.0K

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.86 Rp 32.3K

6.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.79 Rp 13.7K

163.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.79 Rp 13.7K

126.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.89 Rp 32.8K

15.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.47 Rp 8,180

129.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.31 Rp 5,443

235.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.79 Rp 31.1K

121.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$16.27 Rp 282.1K

-37.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.46 Rp 42.6K

-29.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.80 Rp 65.9K

-34.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.63 Rp 10.9K

-17.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$18.37 Rp 318.5K

46.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.48 Rp 8,285

554.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.29 Rp 5,024

727.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.16 Rp 54.7K

-2.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.65 Rp 11.2K

95.38%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$23.4K Rp 405.9M

31.88%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.0K Rp 485.3M

-16.73%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$50.2 Rp 870.0K

63.37%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$4.39 Rp 76.2K

411.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$19.07 Rp 330.6K

55.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$26.67 Rp 462.3K

94.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$7.66 Rp 132.7K

143.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$2.10 Rp 36.3K

136.67%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$90.8 Rp 1.6M

117.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,319 Rp 74.9M

22.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$36.80 Rp 637.8K

-1.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$24.84 Rp 430.6K

61.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$61.1 Rp 1.1M

30.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$40.16 Rp 696.1K

121.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$76.9 Rp 1.3M

1152.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$128 Rp 2.2M

262.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$156 Rp 2.7M

920.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$265 Rp 4.6M

356.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,199 Rp 20.8M

228.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$783 Rp 13.6M

723.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$202 Rp 3.5M

255.79%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mataram: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $76.9 in Mataram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 256% 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 $251 vs $179 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 123% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $577 including rent). Mataram is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 256% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $76.9 in Mataram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% 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 $577 in Mataram versus $1,287 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 123% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.