Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Subang Jaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Subang Jaya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $950 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,439 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,927 in Subang Jaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 37% more than Subang Jaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Subang Jaya are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Subang Jaya 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.73 MYR 15.15

220.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$19.69 MYR 80.1

140.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.73 MYR 19.26

148.41%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.91 MYR 11.83

41.58%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.74 MYR 2.99

89.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.37 MYR 1.49

145.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$4.13 MYR 16.80

-22.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.58 MYR 18.61

54.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.85 MYR 7.54

-9.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.10 MYR 4.47

95.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.73 MYR 7.06

2.31%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.15 MYR 8.76

31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$13.43 MYR 54.6

-31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.88 MYR 19.86

89.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$8.99 MYR 36.58

40.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.86 MYR 11.65

3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.94 MYR 7.91

-18.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.41 MYR 9.81

-7.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.42 MYR 5.77

66.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.08 MYR 4.38

84.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.13 MYR 4.58

75.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.09 MYR 4.44

13.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.57 MYR 2.32

112.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.49 MYR 18.25

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$19.22 MYR 78.2

-45.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.91 MYR 11.82

-41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$4.04 MYR 16.45

-31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.89 MYR 3.61

-32.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$12.40 MYR 50.5

139.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.20 MYR 4.90

336.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.39 MYR 1.58

835.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.06 MYR 20.59

14.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.84 MYR 3.41

83.33%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$41.5K MYR 168.7K

-45.02%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$35.8K MYR 145.4K

-27.80%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$38.14 MYR 155

137.73%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$9.90 MYR 40.28

154.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.37 MYR 119

8.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$24.78 MYR 101

177.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$2.51 MYR 10.23

1070.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.57 MYR 22.67

-12.75%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$298 MYR 1,211

-24.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$10.9K MYR 44.3K

-61.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$59.9 MYR 244

-20.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$35.23 MYR 143

23.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$85.3 MYR 347

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$71.3 MYR 290

28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$575 MYR 2,338

88.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$351 MYR 1,430

16.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$703 MYR 2,858

180.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$614 MYR 2,498

108.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,410 MYR 9,806

67.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,843 MYR 7,497

263.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$909 MYR 3,697

-14.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.2

172.62%

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 Subang Jaya: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $575 in Subang Jaya. 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 18% higher in Subang Jaya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Subang Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $257 – making Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 37%, 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 $1,426 in Subang Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Subang Jaya, 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 $950 in Subang Jaya. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 140% less in Subang Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Subang Jaya, where all-in costs run around $950, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Subang Jaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Subang Jaya – 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 Subang Jaya. 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.