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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $928 in Skudai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,343 in Skudai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,757 in Skudai, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 41% more than Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Skudai are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Skudai 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$3.75 MYR 15.21

218.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$22.01 MYR 89.3

115.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.88 MYR 19.79

140.78%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$2.87 MYR 11.64

43.55%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$0.84 MYR 3.42

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$0.42 MYR 1.70

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$3.43 MYR 13.90

-6.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$5.84 MYR 23.70

21.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.75 MYR 7.12

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$1.03 MYR 4.18

108.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$1.50 MYR 6.07

18.00%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$1.70 MYR 6.89

65.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.64 MYR 39.10

-4.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$3.22 MYR 13.07

186.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.92 MYR 40.23

27.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$3.35 MYR 13.58

-11.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$1.74 MYR 7.08

-9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$2.79 MYR 11.33

-20.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$1.64 MYR 6.66

43.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$1.42 MYR 5.78

40.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$1.75 MYR 7.11

13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.32 MYR 5.37

-6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$0.54 MYR 2.21

124.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$4.41 MYR 17.91

4.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$14.26 MYR 57.9

-26.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$2.69 MYR 10.90

-37.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$3.03 MYR 12.28

-8.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

$0.76 MYR 3.10

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

$12.44 MYR 50.5

138.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$1.23 MYR 4.99

326.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$0.39 MYR 1.57

835.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$9.39 MYR 38.11

-38.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$0.73 MYR 2.95

110.96%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$42.7K MYR 173.1K

-46.57%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$33.1K MYR 134.2K

-21.96%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$49.43 MYR 201

83.43%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$8.43 MYR 34.20

198.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$26.70 MYR 108

18.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$41.50 MYR 168

65.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

$6.56 MYR 26.60

347.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$5.08 MYR 20.59

-4.33%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$162 MYR 657

39.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$4,558 MYR 18.5K

-7.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$52.9 MYR 214

-10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$16.99 MYR 68.9

155.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$79.7 MYR 323

0.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$41.41 MYR 168

120.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$427 MYR 1,732

154.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

$334 MYR 1,354

22.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$692 MYR 2,808

184.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$497 MYR 2,014

158.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

$2,062 MYR 8,366

96.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

$1,140 MYR 4,626

487.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.06

182.02%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Skudai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $427 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Skudai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $230 – 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 41%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,391 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $928 in Skudai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 139% 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 $928, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.