Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Seri Iskandar Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Seri Iskandar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $754 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $945 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,136 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 76% more than Seri Iskandar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Seri Iskandar are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Seri Iskandar 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$2.91 MYR 11.75

347.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$29.82 MYR 120

55.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$4.56 MYR 18.40

176.10%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$0.97 MYR 3.93

312.37%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.56 MYR 2.25

153.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.28 MYR 1.13

189.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.93 MYR 11.84

4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$3.71 MYR 15.00

83.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.62 MYR 6.56

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.00 MYR 4.05

122.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$0.47 MYR 1.90

265.96%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.10 MYR 8.47

29.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$5.49 MYR 22.20

70.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$1.96 MYR 7.90

352.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$4.38 MYR 17.71

191.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.20 MYR 8.87

42.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.76 MYR 7.11

-11.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.92 MYR 7.77

11.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.02 MYR 4.11

130.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.59 MYR 2.40

242.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.98 MYR 3.96

103.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.96 MYR 3.90

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.59 MYR 2.39

101.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$4.30 MYR 17.38

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$7.56 MYR 30.53

38.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$2.49 MYR 10.05

-36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$3.61 MYR 14.60

-19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$1.13 MYR 4.58

-50.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$12.10 MYR 48.87

145.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.02 MYR 4.13

421.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.48 MYR 1.95

675.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$5.06 MYR 20.43

14.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.58 MYR 2.34

167.24%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$19.8K MYR 80.0K

12.91%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$19.4K MYR 78.3K

31.87%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$65.0 MYR 262

37.44%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$9.32 MYR 37.63

150.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$16.74 MYR 67.6

89.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$13.30 MYR 53.7

416.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$6.93 MYR 27.98

324.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$3.66 MYR 14.77

38.25%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$171 MYR 689

30.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$5,029 MYR 20.3K

-14.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$17.23 MYR 69.6

168.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$8.49 MYR 34.29

423.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$62.6 MYR 253

52.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$37.09 MYR 150

149.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$431 MYR 1,743

147.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$341 MYR 1,378

15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$797 MYR 3,219

149.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$158 MYR 639

723.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$1,806 MYR 7,298

123.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,244 MYR 5,025

432.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$365 MYR 1,474

104.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

480.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Seri Iskandar: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $431 in Seri Iskandar. 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 105% 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Seri Iskandar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $160 – making Seri Iskandar 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 Seri Iskandar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 76%, 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 $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,131 in Seri Iskandar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seri Iskandar, 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 $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $754 in Seri Iskandar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 146% less in Seri Iskandar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Seri Iskandar, where all-in costs run around $754, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Seri Iskandar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Seri Iskandar – 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 Seri Iskandar. 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.