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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $867 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,368 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,870 in Penang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 45% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$204

$3.08 MYR 12.58

280.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$21.63 MYR 88.4

93.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$4.15 MYR 16.96

153.25%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.97 MYR 12.13

20.88%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.74 MYR 3.02

104.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.33 MYR 1.37

178.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$4.29 MYR 17.52

-31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$4.45 MYR 18.20

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.88 MYR 7.69

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.03 MYR 4.22

82.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$2.06 MYR 8.41

-24.27%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.12 MYR 8.67

23.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$17.00 MYR 69.5

-51.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$5.19 MYR 21.20

60.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$14.91 MYR 61.0

-27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.91 MYR 11.89

-6.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.45 MYR 5.92

4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$2.66 MYR 10.89

-29.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.10 MYR 8.60

4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.13 MYR 4.62

64.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.20 MYR 4.91

85.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.89 MYR 3.62

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.48 MYR 1.96

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$4.19 MYR 17.13

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$19.28 MYR 78.8

-45.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$2.65 MYR 10.84

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$3.40 MYR 13.89

-23.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.45 MYR 1.83

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$17.76 MYR 72.6

47.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$0.74 MYR 3.04

316.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.51 MYR 2.07

370.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$6.90 MYR 28.21

-54.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.50 MYR 2.03

162.00%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$34.1K MYR 139.3K

-12.52%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$27.3K MYR 111.8K

-14.71%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$39.05 MYR 160

108.14%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$10.17 MYR 41.58

121.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$31.51 MYR 129

-4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$32.40 MYR 132

63.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$5.53 MYR 22.61

232.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$4.81 MYR 19.64

2.29%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$240 MYR 979

-16.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$6,182 MYR 25.3K

-16.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$55.3 MYR 226

-35.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$29.23 MYR 119

37.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$61.1 MYR 250

30.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$52.7 MYR 215

64.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$382 MYR 1,559

156.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$225 MYR 921

108.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$636 MYR 2,598

159.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$522 MYR 2,133

130.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$2,203 MYR 9,004

79.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,160 MYR 4,740

469.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$942 MYR 3,849

-28.15%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Penang: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $382 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Penang pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Penang. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 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 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 39% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $382 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 $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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $867 in Penang – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $867 in Penang versus $1,260 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.