Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tawau Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tawau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $951 in Tawau, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,399 in Tawau, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,847 in Tawau, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% more than Tawau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tawau are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Tawau 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.11 MYR 12.70

272.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$19.83 MYR 81.0

137.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.10 MYR 16.74

189.76%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.07 MYR 12.53

29.64%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.02 MYR 4.16

40.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.38 MYR 1.56

115.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.65 MYR 10.81

20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.36 MYR 17.79

55.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.87 MYR 7.64

-10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.14 MYR 4.65

92.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.49 MYR 6.10

14.77%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.00 MYR 8.17

37.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$13.78 MYR 56.3

-30.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.49 MYR 18.33

100.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.84 MYR 40.18

30.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.92 MYR 11.91

-1.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.78 MYR 7.28

-15.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.17 MYR 8.85

-0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.86 MYR 7.58

21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.20 MYR 4.89

65.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.02 MYR 4.16

95.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.33 MYR 5.42

-7.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.56 MYR 2.30

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.45 MYR 18.17

2.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$18.95 MYR 77.4

-45.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.90 MYR 11.82

-44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.38 MYR 13.81

-14.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.78 MYR 3.17

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$11.45 MYR 46.74

151.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.19 MYR 4.87

352.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.49 MYR 1.98

661.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$8.00 MYR 32.64

-27.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.73 MYR 2.97

110.96%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$41.5K MYR 169.5K

-45.68%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$34.2K MYR 139.6K

-23.81%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$51.0 MYR 208

79.25%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.52 MYR 42.93

139.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$28.28 MYR 115

10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$42.62 MYR 174

57.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$7.38 MYR 30.12

294.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.62 MYR 14.77

34.25%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$181 MYR 740

23.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$5,615 MYR 22.9K

-24.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$52.0 MYR 212

-9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$30.14 MYR 123

46.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$92.9 MYR 379

-13.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$66.9 MYR 273

38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$382 MYR 1,558

178.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$286 MYR 1,167

36.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$743 MYR 3,032

189.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$535 MYR 2,184

137.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,277 MYR 9,295

75.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,204 MYR 4,917

439.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$416 MYR 1,697

82.42%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Tawau: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $382 in Tawau. 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 82% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Tawau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $258 – making Tawau 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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 33%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,427 in Tawau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tawau, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $951 in Tawau. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 152% less in Tawau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tawau, where all-in costs run around $951, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Tawau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tawau – 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 Tawau. 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.