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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $846 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,313 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,779 in Penang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than in Penang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Penang 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.73 MYR 15.18

220.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$20.03 MYR 81.5

136.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.83 MYR 19.66

143.27%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.94 MYR 11.95

40.14%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.71 MYR 2.90

97.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.39 MYR 1.60

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$4.22 MYR 17.17

-23.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.50 MYR 18.32

57.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.79 MYR 7.26

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.09 MYR 4.45

97.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.73 MYR 7.05

2.31%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.23 MYR 9.05

26.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$13.37 MYR 54.4

-31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.37 MYR 17.78

111.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.00 MYR 36.60

40.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.87 MYR 11.67

2.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.70 MYR 6.90

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.61 MYR 10.64

-14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.46 MYR 5.94

61.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.13 MYR 4.58

76.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.17 MYR 4.77

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.11 MYR 4.51

11.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.58 MYR 2.35

108.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.54 MYR 18.45

1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$19.54 MYR 79.5

-46.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.91 MYR 11.85

-41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.98 MYR 16.20

-30.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.48 MYR 1.94

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$12.28 MYR 49.95

141.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.70 MYR 6.92

208.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.42 MYR 1.70

769.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.61 MYR 30.97

-24.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.84 MYR 3.40

83.33%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$41.6K MYR 169.2K

-45.19%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

-25.71%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$37.45 MYR 152

142.11%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$9.83 MYR 40.01

156.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.72 MYR 121

6.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$38.51 MYR 157

78.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$4.81 MYR 19.57

510.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.31 MYR 21.59

-8.47%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$435 MYR 1,769

-48.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

-60.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$60.3 MYR 245

-21.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$34.72 MYR 141

25.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$85.3 MYR 347

-5.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$70.8 MYR 288

28.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$399 MYR 1,623

172.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$228 MYR 928

79.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$591 MYR 2,406

233.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$417 MYR 1,694

207.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,235 MYR 9,094

80.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,068 MYR 4,346

527.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$923 MYR 3,754

-16.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.24

170.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Penang: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $399 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $255 per month, with Penang 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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Penang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $399 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Penang – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $846 in Penang – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Penang versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Penang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Penang 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Penang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.