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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $828 in Skudai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,256 in Skudai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,683 in Skudai, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Skudai are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Skudai 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$3.49 MYR 14.29

242.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$18.56 MYR 75.9

125.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$4.78 MYR 19.57

117.99%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$2.99 MYR 12.21

17.39%

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

$1.52 MX$26.53

$0.71 MYR 2.91

114.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.93

$0.39 MYR 1.61

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$3.45 MYR 14.09

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$5.02 MYR 20.53

-12.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.86

$1.87 MYR 7.63

-24.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.03

$0.95 MYR 3.87

92.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.60

$1.31 MYR 5.34

24.43%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.43

$1.89 MYR 7.72

34.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$10.60 MYR 43.34

-19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$3.44 MYR 14.08

146.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$8.20 MYR 33.52

31.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.19

$2.77 MYR 11.35

-0.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.13

$1.52 MYR 6.23

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.00

$2.48 MYR 10.14

-23.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.96

$1.27 MYR 5.17

70.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$1.17 MYR 4.80

52.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.91

$1.38 MYR 5.65

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.94 MYR 3.84

13.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$0.52 MYR 2.15

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$4.33 MYR 17.70

-4.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$14.16 MYR 57.9

-26.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.50

$2.73 MYR 11.18

-36.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.16

$2.91 MYR 11.91

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.98

$0.73 MYR 2.98

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

$11.85 MYR 48.46

118.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$1.02 MYR 4.19

214.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.78

$0.99 MYR 4.04

152.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$9.40 MYR 38.44

-66.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$0.50 MYR 2.03

152.00%

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

$29.7K MX$519.3K

$31.3K MYR 127.9K

-5.10%

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

$23.7K MX$414.3K

$27.6K MYR 112.8K

-14.17%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$41.03 MYR 168

99.93%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$8.90 MYR 36.42

155.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$23.17 MYR 94.8

26.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$913

$36.67 MYR 150

42.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

$5.74 MYR 23.46

221.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.3

$4.83 MYR 19.74

2.07%

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

$202 MX$3,530

$187 MYR 765

7.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.3K

$6,839 MYR 28.0K

-23.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$48.19 MYR 197

-25.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$18.56 MYR 75.9

117.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,397

$58.2 MYR 238

37.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,562

$47.25 MYR 193

89.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$388 MYR 1,585

144.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,140

$268 MYR 1,096

73.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$641 MYR 2,621

154.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

$469 MYR 1,920

154.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.8K

$1,945 MYR 7,955

102.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.4K

$1,258 MYR 5,143

411.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.07

180.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Skudai: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $388 in Skudai. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Skudai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $218 – making Skudai 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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 52%, 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,242 in Skudai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skudai, 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 $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $828 in Skudai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 119% less in Skudai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Skudai, where all-in costs run around $828, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Skudai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Skudai – 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 Skudai. 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.