Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sarawak Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sarawak

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $910 in Sarawak, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,313 in Sarawak, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,716 in Sarawak, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 38% more than Sarawak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sarawak are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Sarawak 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$3.57 MYR 14.59

234.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$18.74 MYR 76.6

123.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$5.21 MYR 21.32

100.00%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$2.79 MYR 11.43

25.81%

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

$1.52 MX$26.53

$0.79 MYR 3.21

92.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.93

$0.39 MYR 1.60

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$7.67 MYR 31.38

-60.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$8.42 MYR 34.42

-48.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.86

$1.82 MYR 7.43

-21.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.03

$1.00 MYR 4.08

83.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.60

$1.25 MYR 5.13

30.40%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.43

$2.14 MYR 8.73

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$14.84 MYR 60.7

-42.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$2.57 MYR 10.49

230.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$9.49 MYR 38.80

13.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.19

$2.88 MYR 11.80

-4.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.13

$1.53 MYR 6.26

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.00

$2.50 MYR 10.23

-24.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.96

$1.37 MYR 5.61

58.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$1.24 MYR 5.06

43.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.91

$1.32 MYR 5.39

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.99 MYR 4.07

8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$0.66 MYR 2.71

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$4.18 MYR 17.09

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$16.95 MYR 69.3

-38.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.50

$2.81 MYR 11.51

-38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.16

$3.04 MYR 12.42

-15.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.98

$0.72 MYR 2.96

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

$11.74 MYR 48.00

120.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$1.20 MYR 4.90

167.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.78

$1.03 MYR 4.20

142.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$5.88 MYR 24.04

-45.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$0.50 MYR 2.06

152.00%

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

$29.7K MX$519.3K

$35.1K MYR 143.6K

-15.42%

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

$23.7K MX$414.3K

$31.9K MYR 130.6K

-25.85%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$43.10 MYR 176

90.32%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$8.86 MYR 36.24

156.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$29.05 MYR 119

1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$913

$37.07 MYR 152

40.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

$6.04 MYR 24.69

205.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.3

$4.98 MYR 20.38

-1.00%

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

$202 MX$3,530

$189 MYR 771

7.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.3K

$6,901 MYR 28.2K

-24.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$36.25 MYR 148

-0.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$38.85 MYR 159

3.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,397

$78.1 MYR 319

2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,562

$56.1 MYR 229

59.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$329 MYR 1,347

187.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,140

$273 MYR 1,116

70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$498 MYR 2,038

227.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

$356 MYR 1,455

235.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.8K

$2,076 MYR 8,489

89.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.4K

$1,136 MYR 4,646

465.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$417 MYR 1,706

57.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.07

180.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $329 in Sarawak. 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 58% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Sarawak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $240 – making Sarawak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 38%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,364 in Sarawak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarawak, 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 $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $910 in Sarawak. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 121% less in Sarawak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarawak, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Sarawak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sarawak – 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 Sarawak. 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.