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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $671 in Pekanbaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $972 in Pekanbaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,273 in Pekanbaru.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 93% more expensive than Pekanbaru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Pekanbaru 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.58 Rp 28.1K

642.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$9.16 Rp 163.6K

354.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$2.43 Rp 43.3K

337.86%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.35 Rp 24.2K

160.74%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.50 Rp 8,881

202.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.24 Rp 4,259

304.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.21 Rp 39.5K

33.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.31 Rp 59.1K

34.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.36 Rp 24.2K

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.20 Rp 21.4K

57.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.98 Rp 17.5K

67.35%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.71 Rp 30.5K

46.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$17.17 Rp 306.6K

-51.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.62 Rp 46.8K

218.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.17 Rp 181.5K

5.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.88 Rp 51.4K

-9.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.68 Rp 30.1K

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

-5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

76.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.67 Rp 29.8K

31.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

-30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.45 Rp 8,024

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.25 Rp 40.2K

81.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$21.07 Rp 376.3K

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.80 Rp 50.0K

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$4.08 Rp 72.8K

-36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.29 Rp 5,261

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$9.04 Rp 161.5K

192.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.88 Rp 15.7K

270.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.44 Rp 7,814

465.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

51.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

70.13%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$22.7K Rp 405.1M

33.48%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.7K Rp 459.7M

-8.99%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

19.56%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$6.73 Rp 120.2K

230.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$28.30 Rp 505.4K

3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$23.12 Rp 412.8K

123.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$12.25 Rp 218.7K

49.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.29 Rp 58.7K

54.10%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$175 Rp 3.1M

14.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,092 Rp 55.2M

68.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$34.33 Rp 613.1K

7.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$36.18 Rp 646.2K

9.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$65.1 Rp 1.2M

20.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$76.5 Rp 1.4M

13.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$258 Rp 4.6M

277.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$120 Rp 2.2M

288.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$908 Rp 16.2M

80.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$154 Rp 2.7M

692.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,026 Rp 18.3M

284.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$722 Rp 12.9M

799.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$190 Rp 3.4M

249.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pekanbaru: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $258 in Pekanbaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 249% 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 $9.00 in Pekanbaru. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $251, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pekanbaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pekanbaru is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 249% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $258 in Pekanbaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pekanbaru – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $671 in Pekanbaru – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $671 in Pekanbaru versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pekanbaru but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Pekanbaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pekanbaru is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Pekanbaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.