Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Surabaya: $674 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
Learn more

Surabaya Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Surabaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Surabaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $674 in Surabaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Surabaya $674

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,173 in Surabaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Surabaya $1,173

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,672 in Surabaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Surabaya $1,672

Playa del Carmen costs about 79% more than Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$1.63 Rp 29.3K

566.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$11.26 Rp 202.7K

292.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$3.14 Rp 56.5K

274.52%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

135.90%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.55 Rp 9,867

143.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.26 Rp 4,619

215.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$4.14 Rp 74.5K

19.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.25 Rp 22.5K

17.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.27 Rp 22.9K

74.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

78.31%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

111.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$7.75 Rp 139.4K

-2.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$3.08 Rp 55.5K

158.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$7.75 Rp 139.4K

62.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

37.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.29 Rp 23.2K

10.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

43.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.36 Rp 24.4K

48.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

4.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

28.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.39 Rp 7,029

207.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

115.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$25.14 Rp 452.5K

-60.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.74 Rp 31.3K

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.83 Rp 50.9K

-6.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.35 Rp 6,237

51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.46 Rp 8,282

965.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.42 Rp 7,542

716.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$2.58 Rp 46.4K

108.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

64.77%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$24.6K Rp 443.1M

-14.06%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$32.3K Rp 581.0M

-28.68%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$87.3 Rp 1.6M

-2.24%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$4.57 Rp 82.2K

413.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$19.05 Rp 342.9K

49.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$17.92 Rp 322.6K

247.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$6.66 Rp 119.9K

330.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$2.64 Rp 47.5K

93.18%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$277 Rp 5.0M

-27.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$9,324 Rp 167.8M

-57.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

-37.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$38.58 Rp 694.4K

7.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

-9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$75.1 Rp 1.4M

19.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$282 Rp 5.1M

246.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$144 Rp 2.6M

158.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,238 Rp 22.3M

35.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$601 Rp 10.8M

82.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,161 Rp 38.9M

82.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,072 Rp 19.3M

472.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$271 Rp 4.9M

172.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.5

52.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Surabaya

$144 21.4% 61.3% $228

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Surabaya

$209 31% 19.2% $50

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Surabaya

$63 9.4% 68.3% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Surabaya

$111 16.5% 19.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Surabaya

$119 17.7% 7% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Surabaya

$23 3.4% 68% $49

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Surabaya

$3.9 * 0.6% 92.4% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 in Surabaya. 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 173% 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $11.00 in Surabaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $209 – making Surabaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

23:12 11:12 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Surabaya 17,410 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Surabaya

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,011 in Surabaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surabaya, 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $674 in Surabaya. That's a gap of about 79%.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $277 in Surabaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surabaya, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Surabaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surabaya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Surabaya. 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.