Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Seminyak, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,589 in Seminyak, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Seminyak, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Seminyak, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Seminyak, Bali

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,589 in Seminyak, Bali, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Seminyak, Bali $1,589

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,720 in Seminyak, Bali, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Seminyak, Bali $2,720

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,852 in Seminyak, Bali, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Seminyak, Bali $3,852

Playa del Carmen is about 24% cheaper than Seminyak, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Seminyak, Bali is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$3.81 Rp 68.5K
185.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$41.81 Rp 752.6K
5.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$6.50 Rp 117.0K
80.92%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$3.10 Rp 55.8K
18.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$2.01 Rp 36.2K
-33.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$0.90 Rp 16.2K
-8.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$3.03 Rp 54.6K
0.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$5.24 Rp 94.4K
-5.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.58 Rp 28.4K
-6.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
-2.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$1.26 Rp 22.7K
17.46%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$2.15 Rp 38.7K
15.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$18.28 Rp 329.1K
-58.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$4.05 Rp 72.9K
96.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$12.52 Rp 225.4K
0.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$3.71 Rp 66.7K
-25.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
-10.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$2.43 Rp 43.8K
7.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$2.03 Rp 36.5K
5.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$1.92 Rp 34.6K
5.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$2.52 Rp 45.4K
-21.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.04 Rp 18.7K
9.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$0.53 Rp 9,477
126.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
86.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$23.29 Rp 419.2K
-56.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$2.47 Rp 44.5K
-37.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$3.03 Rp 54.5K
-12.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$0.27 Rp 4,815
96.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
$9.17 Rp 165.1K
200.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$0.51 Rp 9,205
860.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$0.51 Rp 9,140
572.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
99.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
54.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$27.9K Rp 502.3M
-24.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$37.1K Rp 668.0M
-37.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$84.9 Rp 1.5M
0.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$6.62 Rp 119.2K
254.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$19.11 Rp 344.0K
48.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$61.8 Rp 1.1M
0.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
$20.59 Rp 370.6K
39.29%
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$4.82 Rp 86.8K
5.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$531 Rp 9.6M
-62.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$6,238 Rp 112.3M
-36.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$46.78 Rp 842.0K
-5.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$37.20 Rp 669.6K
11.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$82.0 Rp 1.5M
-11.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$81.7 Rp 1.5M
9.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$1,404 Rp 25.3M
-30.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$858 Rp 15.4M
-56.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$4,460 Rp 80.3M
-62.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$2,179 Rp 39.2M
-49.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$3,488 Rp 62.8M
13.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$2,898 Rp 52.2M
111.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Seminyak, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
13.78
-16.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seminyak, Bali: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Seminyak, Bali
$858 130% $486
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Seminyak, Bali
$299 15.7% $41
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Seminyak, Bali
$124 37.8% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Seminyak, Bali
$111 19.4% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Seminyak, Bali
$111 0.1% $0.2
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Seminyak, Bali
$71 1.3% $1
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Seminyak, Bali
$13 74.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,404 in Seminyak, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $42.00 in Seminyak, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $299 in Seminyak, Bali – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇮🇩 Seminyak, Bali
🕒 Local time
18:54 6:54 PM
07:54 7:54 AM
13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
5,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Seminyak, Bali 17,280 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Seminyak, Bali

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 Seminyak, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seminyak, Bali cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Seminyak, Bali is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,383 in Seminyak, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Seminyak, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,589 in Seminyak, Bali. That's a gap of about 32%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 200% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Seminyak, Bali?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Seminyak, Bali at $1,589. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seminyak, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Seminyak, Bali more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Seminyak, Bali?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seminyak, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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