Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Semarang

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
Learn more

Semarang Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $593 in Semarang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Semarang $593

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $938 in Semarang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Semarang $938

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,282 in Semarang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Semarang $1,282

Playa del Carmen costs about 103% more than Semarang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Semarang are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Semarang 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

714.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$10.53 Rp 191.3K

311.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$3.04 Rp 55.3K

287.50%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

197.66%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.43 Rp 7,808

197.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.16 Rp 2,847

387.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

93.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$3.25 Rp 59.1K

51.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

141.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

79.75%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

113.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$3.86 Rp 70.2K

88.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

230.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$7.55 Rp 137.3K

68.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.96 Rp 35.7K

41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

44.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

51.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.93 Rp 17.0K

23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.40 Rp 7,359

195.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$1.87 Rp 34.1K

129.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$25.05 Rp 455.2K

-60.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

-3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

36.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.21 Rp 3,816

161.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$13.93 Rp 253.1K

91.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.50 Rp 9,128

894.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.29 Rp 5,331

1048.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

99.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

87.01%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$24.5K Rp 446.0M

-15.78%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$32.2K Rp 585.5M

-27.16%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

-1.56%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

776.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$18.96 Rp 344.7K

51.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$20.30 Rp 368.9K

181.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$4.49 Rp 81.5K

543.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

128.44%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$49.33 Rp 896.6K

318.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$2,076 Rp 37.7M

89.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$34.61 Rp 629.1K

25.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$29.31 Rp 532.7K

41.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

31.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$38.07 Rp 691.9K

134.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$226 Rp 4.1M

333.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$136 Rp 2.5M

179.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$477 Rp 8.7M

257.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$380 Rp 6.9M

183.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,223 Rp 22.2M

222.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$833 Rp 15.1M

638.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$186 Rp 3.4M

295.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.82

29.82%

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 Semarang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Semarang

$136 23% 64.2% $244

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Semarang

$184 31% 27.8% $71

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Semarang

$52 8.8% 74.2% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Semarang

$108 18.2% 21.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Semarang

$71 12% 36.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Semarang

$25 4.2% 63.2% $43

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Semarang

$17 2.8% 66.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $226 in Semarang. 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 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $11 in Semarang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $184 – making Semarang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Semarang

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

04:35 4:35 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,555,984

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Semarang 17,600 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Semarang

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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 103%, 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 $890 in Semarang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Semarang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $593 in Semarang. That makes Semarang about 51% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Semarang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Semarang, where all-in costs run around $593, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Semarang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Semarang. 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.