Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pontianak

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $477 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Pontianak

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Pontianak actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $477 in Pontianak, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Pontianak $477

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $594 in Pontianak, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Pontianak $594

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $710 in Pontianak, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Pontianak $710

Playa del Carmen costs about 152% more than Pontianak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Pontianak are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Pontianak 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

520.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$8.33 Rp 151.1K

425.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

310.80%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

218.49%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.49 Rp 8,911

165.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.21 Rp 3,807

295.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.70 Rp 49.0K

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$3.50 Rp 63.5K

40.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.36 Rp 24.8K

61.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$0.98 Rp 17.8K

50.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

74.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

145.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$3.11 Rp 56.5K

-6.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

-27.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$2.19 Rp 39.7K

13.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.52 Rp 9,437

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.68 Rp 48.6K

59.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

-56.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.11 Rp 38.3K

30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.29 Rp 5,286

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.72 Rp 13.1K

112.50%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

18.90%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$5.39 Rp 97.8K

330.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$21.93 Rp 397.8K

25.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$23.39 Rp 424.3K

141.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$11.57 Rp 209.9K

143.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$3.61 Rp 65.5K

38.50%

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$33.74 Rp 612.0K

28.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$33.44 Rp 606.7K

27.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$164 Rp 3.0M

507.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$108 Rp 2.0M

253.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$263 Rp 4.8M

216.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pontianak: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Pontianak

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Pontianak

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Pontianak

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Pontianak

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Pontianak

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Pontianak

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Pontianak

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $164 in Pontianak. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $8 in Pontianak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $150 – making Pontianak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

10:05 10:05 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

672,440

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,421 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Pontianak 17,110 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Pontianak

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Pontianak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 152%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $716 in Pontianak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pontianak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $164 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $8 in Pontianak. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pontianak, where all-in costs run around $477, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Pontianak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Pontianak to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pontianak. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.