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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $558 in Mataram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $861 in Mataram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,163 in Mataram.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 126% more expensive than in Mataram, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Mataram 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

955.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$11.00 Rp 198.9K

280.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

360.96%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

99.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.55 Rp 9,885

174.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.36 Rp 6,545

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.63 Rp 47.6K

12.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.67 Rp 66.3K

20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.53 Rp 27.7K

-8.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.61 Rp 29.2K

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

105.26%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

90.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$3.31 Rp 59.8K

151.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$3.59 Rp 64.9K

132.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$5.99 Rp 108.4K

81.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.72 Rp 31.1K

57.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

23.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.89 Rp 34.2K

-1.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

192.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

121.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

23.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.48 Rp 8,653

122.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.32 Rp 5,704

240.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

135.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$15.33 Rp 277.1K

-31.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$2.36 Rp 42.7K

-29.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$3.58 Rp 64.7K

-27.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.63 Rp 11.5K

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$18.41 Rp 332.9K

42.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$0.51 Rp 9,200

503.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.31 Rp 5,671

674.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$3.08 Rp 55.7K

1.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.69 Rp 12.4K

89.86%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$23.3K Rp 421.3M

27.92%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$27.5K Rp 497.5M

-15.24%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$50.4 Rp 911.1K

61.30%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$4.32 Rp 78.2K

422.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$19.37 Rp 350.3K

55.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$26.95 Rp 487.3K

96.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$7.48 Rp 135.2K

145.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

134.29%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$91.5 Rp 1.7M

119.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$4,217 Rp 76.2M

22.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$36.84 Rp 666.2K

-2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$24.43 Rp 441.7K

64.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$61.5 Rp 1.1M

29.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$40.48 Rp 731.9K

113.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$76.8 Rp 1.4M

1174.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$128 Rp 2.3M

268.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$153 Rp 2.8M

976.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$259 Rp 4.7M

364.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$1,155 Rp 20.9M

242.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$679 Rp 12.3M

873.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$192 Rp 3.5M

252.17%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mataram: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $76.8 in Mataram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 252% 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 $11.00 in Mataram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $174 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 126% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $558 including rent). Mataram is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 252% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $76.8 in Mataram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $558 in Mataram versus $1,260 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 126% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.