Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $589 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
Learn more

Surakarta Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Surakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $589 in Surakarta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Surakarta $589

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $933 in Surakarta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Surakarta $933

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,278 in Surakarta, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Surakarta $1,278

Playa del Carmen costs about 104% more than Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surakarta are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Surakarta 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

542.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$11.39 Rp 206.6K

280.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$3.06 Rp 55.4K

284.97%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

145.81%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.53 Rp 9,664

141.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.23 Rp 4,147

239.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

126.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

77.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

63.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

89.33%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

152.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$7.78 Rp 141.1K

-6.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

375.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$5.32 Rp 96.5K

138.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

41.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

50.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

42.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

15.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.53 Rp 9,568

116.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.43 Rp 7,783

174.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$1.93 Rp 34.9K

122.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$8.23 Rp 149.3K

20.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.61 Rp 29.3K

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

-10.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.41 Rp 7,401

34.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$11.35 Rp 205.8K

134.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.47 Rp 8,488

957.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.43 Rp 7,747

674.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$2.58 Rp 46.8K

107.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

84.62%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$25.0K Rp 454.0M

-17.44%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$32.9K Rp 596.8M

-28.68%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

9.12%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$2.06 Rp 37.3K

1036.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$18.73 Rp 339.7K

53.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$16.13 Rp 292.6K

253.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$8.31 Rp 150.7K

247.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

173.40%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$33.22 Rp 602.5K

521.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$1,841 Rp 33.4M

113.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$58.8 Rp 1.1M

-26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$36.70 Rp 665.7K

12.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$68.2 Rp 1.2M

8.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

35.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$223 Rp 4.0M

339.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$147 Rp 2.7M

158.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$559 Rp 10.1M

205.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$367 Rp 6.7M

192.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,102 Rp 20.0M

257.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$712 Rp 12.9M

764.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$155 Rp 2.8M

374.24%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Surakarta

$147 25% 61.3% $234

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Surakarta

$147 25% 42.2% $107

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Surakarta

$57 9.7% 71.8% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Surakarta

$98 16.7% 28% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Surakarta

$103 17.5% 7.6% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Surakarta

$20 3.4% 70.4% $47

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Surakarta

$16 2.7% 69.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $223 in Surakarta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $11 in Surakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $147 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

15:09 3:09 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

503,421

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Surakarta 17,600 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Surakarta

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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 104%, 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 $883 in Surakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surakarta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $589 in Surakarta. That makes Surakarta about 51% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Surakarta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $589, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Surakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surakarta – 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 Surakarta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.