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 $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $667 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $881 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,095 in Seri Iskandar, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 94% 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 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$2.64 MYR 10.72

344.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$28.60 MYR 116

46.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$4.60 MYR 18.69

126.30%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$0.96 MYR 3.91

276.04%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.51 MYR 2.06

186.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.27 MYR 1.10

259.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.86 MYR 11.64

2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.52 MYR 14.31

31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.57 MYR 6.38

-8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.89 MYR 3.63

113.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$0.45 MYR 1.82

248.89%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.96 MYR 7.98

34.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$5.24 MYR 21.29

61.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$1.93 MYR 7.84

344.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$4.20 MYR 17.08

161.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.15 MYR 8.73

25.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.57 MYR 6.38

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.85 MYR 7.52

3.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$0.96 MYR 3.92

126.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.61 MYR 2.47

206.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.96 MYR 3.91

132.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.98 MYR 3.97

10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.61 MYR 2.49

75.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$4.07 MYR 16.54

2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$7.32 MYR 29.74

40.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$2.30 MYR 9.34

-26.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$3.46 MYR 14.08

-26.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.05 MYR 4.26

-47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$11.65 MYR 47.35

125.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.92 MYR 3.73

247.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.10 MYR 4.48

123.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$4.63 MYR 18.82

-30.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.51 MYR 2.06

158.82%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$18.6K MYR 75.6K

62.23%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$19.1K MYR 77.5K

22.69%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$65.6 MYR 267

23.97%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$9.64 MYR 39.17

132.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$15.84 MYR 64.4

89.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$13.21 MYR 53.7

290.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$6.04 MYR 24.56

204.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$3.58 MYR 14.57

44.13%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$163 MYR 664

23.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$9,305 MYR 37.8K

-42.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$16.61 MYR 67.5

114.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$8.09 MYR 32.89

399.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$57.9 MYR 235

35.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$35.62 MYR 145

143.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$389 MYR 1,583

143.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$270 MYR 1,097

77.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$638 MYR 2,592

154.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$151 MYR 613

711.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,764 MYR 7,171

127.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,067 MYR 4,336

506.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$371 MYR 1,507

81.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

471.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Seri Iskandar: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $389 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 82% 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 $29.00 in Seri Iskandar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $153 – 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 94%, 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 $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,001 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $667 in Seri Iskandar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 126% 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 $667, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. 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.