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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,027 in Selangor, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,483 in Selangor, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,938 in Selangor, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Selangor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Selangor are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Selangor 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.22 MYR 17.23

174.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$19.63 MYR 80.2

139.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.00 MYR 16.34

197.00%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.19 MYR 8.96

81.74%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.87 MYR 3.55

64.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.46 MYR 1.89

78.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$4.50 MYR 18.39

-29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.10 MYR 20.80

33.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.91 MYR 7.81

-12.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.10 MYR 4.50

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.51 MYR 6.15

13.25%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.91 MYR 7.78

43.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$15.50 MYR 63.3

-38.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.82 MYR 19.70

86.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.82 MYR 40.10

30.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.35 MYR 13.67

-13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.84 MYR 7.51

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.44 MYR 9.96

-11.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.58 MYR 6.47

43.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.36 MYR 5.57

45.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.09 MYR 4.44

82.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.14 MYR 4.65

7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.54 MYR 2.20

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.34 MYR 17.72

4.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$19.04 MYR 77.7

-45.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$3.38 MYR 13.80

-52.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$4.99 MYR 20.37

-42.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$12.26 MYR 50.1

134.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.25 MYR 5.10

331.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.26 MYR 5.14

196.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.51 MYR 18.39

27.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.66 MYR 2.70

133.33%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$42.4K MYR 173.1K

-46.84%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$35.0K MYR 142.9K

-25.56%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$65.2 MYR 266

40.20%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.10 MYR 37.15

176.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$25.81 MYR 105

21.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$40.42 MYR 165

66.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$7.22 MYR 29.49

303.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.30 MYR 21.64

-8.30%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$124 MYR 505

80.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$7,373 MYR 30.1K

-42.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$73.2 MYR 299

-35.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$42.30 MYR 173

4.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$77.8 MYR 317

3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$81.6 MYR 333

13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$504 MYR 2,059

110.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$346 MYR 1,414

12.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$881 MYR 3,597

143.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$485 MYR 1,979

162.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,559 MYR 6,364

156.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$712 MYR 2,906

813.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,045 MYR 4,266

-27.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.96

189.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Selangor: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $504 in Selangor. 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 38% higher in Selangor, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Selangor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $272 – making Selangor 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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 23%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,541 in Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Selangor, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,027 in Selangor. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 135% less in Selangor. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Selangor, where all-in costs run around $1,027, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Selangor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Selangor – 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 Selangor. 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.