Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Palangkaraya

For one person, living is cheaper in Palangkaraya: $603 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Palangkaraya
Learn more

Palangkaraya Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Palangkaraya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Palangkaraya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Palangkaraya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $603 in Palangkaraya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Palangkaraya $603

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $960 in Palangkaraya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Palangkaraya $960

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,317 in Palangkaraya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Palangkaraya $1,317

Playa del Carmen costs about 99% more than Palangkaraya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Palangkaraya are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Palangkaraya 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$1.40 Rp 25.3K

662.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$13.83 Rp 250.8K

216.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$3.64 Rp 66.0K

223.90%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

157.82%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.45 Rp 8,244

188.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.18 Rp 3,255

361.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

39.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$3.46 Rp 62.8K

42.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.16 Rp 21.1K

21.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

109.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

79.27%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

78.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$7.04 Rp 127.7K

3.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$2.21 Rp 40.1K

259.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$6.41 Rp 116.3K

100.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

30.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.73 Rp 31.3K

-20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

60.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$0.93 Rp 16.9K

118.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.22 Rp 22.2K

65.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$1.88 Rp 34.0K

1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.85 Rp 15.5K

34.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.41 Rp 7,509

202.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

56.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$20.79 Rp 377.1K

-52.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.80 Rp 32.7K

-11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

-4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.25 Rp 4,563

104.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$11.65 Rp 211.4K

135.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$0.53 Rp 9,653

798.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.32 Rp 5,720

915.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$2.79 Rp 50.6K

93.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

135.38%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$23.0K Rp 417.0M

-7.72%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$32.2K Rp 583.5M

-27.68%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$64.0 Rp 1.2M

30.53%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$4.37 Rp 79.3K

430.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$19.16 Rp 347.6K

44.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$5.53 Rp 100.2K

920.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$8.04 Rp 145.9K

250.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

85.87%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

119.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$7,979 Rp 144.7M

-34.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$42.88 Rp 777.9K

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$28.02 Rp 508.3K

51.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$73.8 Rp 1.3M

-1.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$69.8 Rp 1.3M

26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$223 Rp 4.0M

346.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$146 Rp 2.7M

161.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$542 Rp 9.8M

208.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$361 Rp 6.5M

199.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$1,146 Rp 20.8M

240.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$780 Rp 14.2M

686.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.46

21.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Palangkaraya: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Palangkaraya

$146 24.2% 61.8% $236

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Palangkaraya

$187 31% 27.4% $70

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Palangkaraya

$61 10% 69.8% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Palangkaraya

$87 14.5% 34.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Palangkaraya

$97 16% 13.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Palangkaraya

$11 1.8% 83.6% $56

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Palangkaraya

$15 2.5% 70.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $223 in Palangkaraya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $14 in Palangkaraya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $187 – making Palangkaraya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Palangkaraya

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

20:22 8:22 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

220,962

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,309 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Palangkaraya 16,950 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Palangkaraya

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Palangkaraya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 99% more than Palangkaraya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $905 in Palangkaraya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palangkaraya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $94 in Palangkaraya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Palangkaraya, where all-in costs run around $603, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Palangkaraya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palangkaraya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Palangkaraya is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 50% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.