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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $869 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,385 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,901 in Penang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 46% more expensive than Penang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Penang 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.04 MYR 12.34

290.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.59 MYR 87.5

98.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.33 MYR 17.57

145.96%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.94 MYR 11.90

17.35%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.68 MYR 2.78

120.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.36 MYR 1.48

163.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$4.40 MYR 17.85

-31.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.46 MYR 18.10

3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.81 MYR 7.32

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.99 MYR 4.00

86.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.03 MYR 8.21

-20.69%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.13 MYR 8.65

21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$17.36 MYR 70.4

-52.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.21 MYR 21.12

60.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$15.08 MYR 61.1

-29.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.87 MYR 11.66

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.47 MYR 5.96

1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.57 MYR 10.43

-25.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.11 MYR 8.57

-0.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.18 MYR 4.79

57.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.16 MYR 4.71

94.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.95 MYR 3.87

11.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.49 MYR 1.97

122.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.36 MYR 17.68

-4.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$19.63 MYR 79.6

-47.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.62 MYR 10.61

-34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.40 MYR 13.80

-23.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.45 MYR 1.82

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$17.40 MYR 70.6

54.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.69 MYR 2.80

353.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.54 MYR 2.21

364.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.20 MYR 29.19

-56.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.47 MYR 1.89

170.21%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.9K MYR 133.5K

-7.74%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.3K MYR 110.6K

-13.57%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$38.60 MYR 157

115.03%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.06 MYR 40.79

125.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$31.44 MYR 127

-6.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$33.04 MYR 134

54.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$5.42 MYR 21.97

238.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.91 MYR 19.90

0.41%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$238 MYR 963

-16.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,198 MYR 25.1K

-14.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$54.6 MYR 221

-32.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$28.39 MYR 115

40.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$60.5 MYR 245

32.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$53.5 MYR 217

67.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$387 MYR 1,569

147.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$230 MYR 933

107.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$640 MYR 2,597

157.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$525 MYR 2,131

133.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,250 MYR 9,123

74.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,186 MYR 4,807

444.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$951 MYR 3,858

-29.89%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Penang: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $387 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 43% 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 $22.00 in Penang. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $287, 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Penang earns 43% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $387 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 $22.00 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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $869 in Penang – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $869 in Penang versus $1,271 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 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.