Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Putrajaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Putrajaya: $813 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Putrajaya
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Putrajaya Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Putrajaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $813 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Putrajaya $813

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,227 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Putrajaya $1,227

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,640 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Putrajaya $1,640

Playa del Carmen costs about 48% more than Putrajaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Putrajaya are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Putrajaya 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.58 MYR 14.51

205.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$18.03 MYR 73.1

140.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$4.48 MYR 18.16

162.95%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.89 MYR 11.70

31.83%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.82 MYR 3.34

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.39 MYR 1.59

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.69 MYR 14.95

-14.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$4.73 MYR 19.18

4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.75 MYR 7.08

-19.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.09 MYR 4.44

103.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.43 MYR 5.81

-0.70%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.71 MYR 6.94

47.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$7.72 MYR 31.30

-5.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$4.70 MYR 19.06

63.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$9.58 MYR 38.83

32.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.46 MYR 9.99

13.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.49 MYR 6.03

-8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.22 MYR 8.99

14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.63 MYR 6.61

30.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.39 MYR 5.63

39.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.43 MYR 5.80

32.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.37 MYR 5.55

-16.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.52 MYR 2.10

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$4.30 MYR 17.42

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$13.35 MYR 54.1

-25.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.98 MYR 12.09

-46.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$3.01 MYR 12.19

-11.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.69 MYR 2.82

-20.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$12.13 MYR 49.16

119.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.94 MYR 3.81

428.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.47 MYR 1.93

608.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$9.75 MYR 39.53

-45.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.69 MYR 2.80

108.70%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$42.8K MYR 173.4K

-51.69%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$34.4K MYR 139.3K

-31.70%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$52.5 MYR 213

61.54%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$11.02 MYR 44.69

112.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$22.68 MYR 91.9

26.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$35.81 MYR 145

59.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$9.28 MYR 37.62

211.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$5.03 MYR 20.39

2.19%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$243 MYR 983

-14.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$4,555 MYR 18.5K

-13.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$54.4 MYR 220

-20.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$16.78 MYR 68.0

146.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$80.2 MYR 325

-7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$87.0 MYR 353

2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$345 MYR 1,397

184.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$225 MYR 913

69.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$633 MYR 2,568

169.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$370 MYR 1,500

190.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$2,682 MYR 10.9K

46.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,783 MYR 7,230

245.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,029 MYR 4,173

-28.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.06

182.02%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Putrajaya

$225 27.7% 40.8% $156

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Putrajaya

$221 27.2% 13.3% $34

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Putrajaya

$109 13.5% 45.9% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Putrajaya

$86 10.6% 37% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Putrajaya

$107 13.2% 4% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Putrajaya

$46 5.6% 31.9% $21

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Putrajaya

$18 2.2% 63.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $345 in Putrajaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Putrajaya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $18 in Putrajaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $221 – making Putrajaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

21:09 9:09 PM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

109,202

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Putrajaya 17,230 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Putrajaya

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 Putrajaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,220 in Putrajaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Putrajaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $345 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $813 in Putrajaya. That makes Putrajaya about 32% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Putrajaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $813 in Putrajaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $813 in Putrajaya to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Putrajaya is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 32% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.