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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $862 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,379 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,895 in Penang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 49% more expensive than Penang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Penang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$3.10 MYR 12.24

285.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$21.13 MYR 83.5

102.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$4.12 MYR 16.27

157.04%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.88 MYR 11.36

25.69%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.70 MYR 2.75

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.33 MYR 1.32

184.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$4.30 MYR 16.98

-28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$4.43 MYR 17.51

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.89 MYR 7.48

-24.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.03 MYR 4.05

82.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.99 MYR 7.86

-18.09%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.04 MYR 8.07

29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$17.30 MYR 68.4

-52.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.95 MYR 19.54

67.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$15.01 MYR 59.3

-26.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.88 MYR 11.38

-7.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.51 MYR 5.96

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.63 MYR 10.38

-24.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.09 MYR 8.24

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.18 MYR 4.64

51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.17 MYR 4.63

86.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.91 MYR 3.59

18.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.48 MYR 1.91

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.29 MYR 16.94

-7.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$19.41 MYR 76.7

-47.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.74 MYR 10.82

-36.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.39 MYR 13.39

-26.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.46 MYR 1.80

13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$17.53 MYR 69.3

53.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.74 MYR 2.94

324.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.53 MYR 2.10

352.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.95 MYR 27.46

-55.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.46 MYR 1.82

176.09%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$33.5K MYR 132.3K

-7.80%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$27.9K MYR 110.3K

-16.52%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$39.31 MYR 155

108.62%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$10.23 MYR 40.40

119.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$31.17 MYR 123

-4.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$33.28 MYR 131

55.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$5.39 MYR 21.30

246.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$4.81 MYR 19.01

3.33%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$240 MYR 947

-17.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$6,163 MYR 24.3K

-14.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$54.4 MYR 215

-33.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$29.08 MYR 115

37.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$60.4 MYR 239

32.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$52.6 MYR 208

68.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$381 MYR 1,503

153.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$227 MYR 895

105.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$639 MYR 2,524

149.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$526 MYR 2,077

129.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,317 MYR 9,153

70.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,197 MYR 4,729

438.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$968 MYR 3,824

-25.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.16

174.52%

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 Penang: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $381 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Penang. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $286, 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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Penang earns 34% less. 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $381 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 $21.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $862 in Penang – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $862 in Penang versus $1,287 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 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.