Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tanjung Pandan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tanjung Pandan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $678 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,039 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,400 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 86% more than Tanjung Pandan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tanjung Pandan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Tanjung Pandan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

696.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$12.44 Rp 223.1K

237.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$3.40 Rp 61.0K

206.47%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$1.67 Rp 29.9K

110.18%

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

$1.52 MX$26.53

$0.55 Rp 9,928

176.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.93

$0.28 Rp 5,075

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$2.52 Rp 45.2K

20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$3.62 Rp 65.0K

20.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.86

$1.23 Rp 22.0K

15.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.03

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

61.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.60

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

77.17%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.43

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

66.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

4.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$3.07 Rp 55.1K

176.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$7.68 Rp 137.7K

40.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.19

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

20.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.13

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.00

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

1.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.96

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

39.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$1.33 Rp 23.9K

33.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.91

$1.96 Rp 35.2K

13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$0.41 Rp 7,387

163.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$2.45 Rp 44.0K

69.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$20.83 Rp 373.7K

-49.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.50

$2.12 Rp 38.1K

-17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.16

$3.10 Rp 55.7K

-16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.98

$0.30 Rp 5,323

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

$10.01 Rp 179.5K

159.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$0.52 Rp 9,401

517.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.78

$0.34 Rp 6,148

635.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$2.86 Rp 51.4K

11.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$0.82 Rp 14.6K

53.66%

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

$29.7K MX$519.3K

$24.2K Rp 433.5M

22.84%

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

$23.7K MX$414.3K

$27.7K Rp 496.8M

-14.50%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

17.17%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$4.37 Rp 78.4K

420.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$22.52 Rp 403.9K

30.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$913

$22.74 Rp 407.8K

129.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

$6.25 Rp 112.1K

195.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.3

$3.11 Rp 55.7K

58.52%

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

$202 MX$3,530

$94.1 Rp 1.7M

114.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.3K

$7,609 Rp 136.5M

-31.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$42.32 Rp 758.9K

-15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$31.28 Rp 561.0K

28.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,397

$65.8 Rp 1.2M

21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,562

$73.4 Rp 1.3M

21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$254 Rp 4.6M

272.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,140

$157 Rp 2.8M

195.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$595 Rp 10.7M

173.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

$337 Rp 6.0M

254.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.8K

$1,323 Rp 23.7M

197.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.4K

$674 Rp 12.1M

854.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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 Tanjung Pandan: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $254 in Tanjung Pandan. 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 $12.00 in Tanjung Pandan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $207 – making Tanjung Pandan 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 Tanjung Pandan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 86%, 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 $1,016 in Tanjung Pandan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tanjung Pandan, 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 $678 in Tanjung Pandan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 159% less in Tanjung Pandan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tanjung Pandan, where all-in costs run around $678, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Tanjung Pandan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tanjung Pandan – 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 Tanjung Pandan. 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.