Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Salatiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Salatiga: $456 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Salatiga
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Salatiga Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Salatiga

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $456 in Salatiga, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Salatiga $456

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $675 in Salatiga, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Salatiga $675

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $893 in Salatiga, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Salatiga $893

Playa del Carmen costs about 165% more than Salatiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Salatiga are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Salatiga 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

1136.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$8.95 Rp 160.6K

380.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

331.87%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$1.43 Rp 25.6K

170.63%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.30 Rp 5,468

356.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.19 Rp 3,370

342.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$1.90 Rp 34.1K

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$4.23 Rp 75.8K

19.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$1.33 Rp 23.9K

67.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

72.94%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

110.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$7.70 Rp 138.2K

-5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$3.09 Rp 55.5K

154.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$7.64 Rp 137.1K

67.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$2.01 Rp 36.1K

44.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.83 Rp 32.8K

39.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

36.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.31 Rp 23.5K

52.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

5.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.35 Rp 6,193

240.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.36 Rp 6,392

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$1.98 Rp 35.6K

122.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$24.70 Rp 443.2K

-61.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.67 Rp 29.9K

-4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.97 Rp 53.3K

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.21 Rp 3,732

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$0.44 Rp 7,875

1031.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.43 Rp 7,712

713.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

97.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.67 Rp 12.0K

119.40%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$24.6K Rp 442.1M

-14.82%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

-25.70%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$87.8 Rp 1.6M

-4.03%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$4.59 Rp 82.4K

422.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$19.52 Rp 350.2K

48.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$11.25 Rp 201.8K

459.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

147.00%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$283 Rp 5.1M

-27.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$9,389 Rp 168.5M

-58.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$22.60 Rp 405.5K

92.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$11.36 Rp 203.8K

279.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$44.96 Rp 806.7K

68.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$73.3 Rp 1.3M

20.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$165 Rp 3.0M

510.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$148 Rp 2.7M

408.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.5

52.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Salatiga: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Salatiga

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Salatiga

$205 44.9% 20.8% $54

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Salatiga

$52 11.4% 74.2% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Salatiga

$112 24.5% 18.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Salatiga

$69 15% 39.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Salatiga

$15 3.3% 79.1% $58

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Salatiga

$3.4 * 0.8% 93.5% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $165 in Salatiga. 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 409% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $9.00 in Salatiga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $205 – making Salatiga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Salatiga

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

09:07 9:07 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

190,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.95 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,204 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Salatiga 17,610 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Salatiga

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 Salatiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 165%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $684 in Salatiga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salatiga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Salatiga. That's a gap of about 165%.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Playa del Carmen and $283 in Salatiga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Salatiga, where all-in costs run around $456, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Salatiga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salatiga – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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