Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ulu Tiram

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulu Tiram: $938 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Ulu Tiram
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Ulu Tiram Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Ulu Tiram

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ulu Tiram

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $938 in Ulu Tiram, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ulu Tiram $938

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,412 in Ulu Tiram, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ulu Tiram $1,412

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,885 in Ulu Tiram, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Ulu Tiram $1,885

Playa del Carmen costs about 28% more than Ulu Tiram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ulu Tiram are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ulu Tiram 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.58 MYR 14.59

205.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$19.21 MYR 78.2

125.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$4.97 MYR 20.24

137.02%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$2.92 MYR 11.90

30.48%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$0.85 MYR 3.44

50.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$0.41 MYR 1.67

90.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$4.50 MYR 18.30

-29.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$6.40 MYR 26.03

-22.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.73 MYR 7.02

-18.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$1.04 MYR 4.23

113.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$1.48 MYR 6.03

-4.05%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$1.80 MYR 7.33

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$9.62 MYR 39.17

-24.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$4.23 MYR 17.21

82.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$9.57 MYR 38.95

32.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$3.30 MYR 13.44

-15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$1.69 MYR 6.90

-18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$2.76 MYR 11.25

-7.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$1.64 MYR 6.68

29.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$1.45 MYR 5.92

33.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$1.67 MYR 6.78

13.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$1.39 MYR 5.65

-17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.56 MYR 2.29

110.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$4.30 MYR 17.48

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$17.28 MYR 70.3

-42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$2.96 MYR 12.04

-46.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$3.11 MYR 12.65

-14.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$0.80 MYR 3.25

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$13.32 MYR 54.2

99.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$0.94 MYR 3.84

428.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$0.38 MYR 1.55

776.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$8.77 MYR 35.71

-38.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$0.86 MYR 3.51

67.44%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$43.8K MYR 178.3K

-52.83%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$35.5K MYR 144.5K

-33.90%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$53.5 MYR 218

58.55%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$8.46 MYR 34.42

176.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$28.46 MYR 116

0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$37.15 MYR 151

53.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$6.93 MYR 28.19

317.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$4.80 MYR 19.53

7.08%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$241 MYR 980

-14.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$4,550 MYR 18.5K

-13.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$55.0 MYR 224

-21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$16.99 MYR 69.2

143.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$78.7 MYR 320

-5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$87.0 MYR 354

2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$453 MYR 1,844

116.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$315 MYR 1,282

20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$709 MYR 2,887

140.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$547 MYR 2,227

96.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$2,005 MYR 8,161

96.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

$1,196 MYR 4,867

415.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$869 MYR 3,535

-15.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.06

182.02%

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 Ulu Tiram: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Ulu Tiram

$315 33.6% 17.3% $66

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Ulu Tiram

$241 25.7% 5.4% $14

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Ulu Tiram

$119 12.7% 41.2% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Ulu Tiram

$90 9.6% 33.9% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Ulu Tiram

$107 11.4% 4.2% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Ulu Tiram

$47 5% 30.6% $21

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ulu Tiram

$19 2.1% 61.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $453 in Ulu Tiram. 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 Ulu Tiram, 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $19 in Ulu Tiram. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $241 – making Ulu Tiram the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇾 Ulu Tiram

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

03:39 3:39 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

75,350

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ulu Tiram 17,270 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ulu Tiram

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 Ulu Tiram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 28%, 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 $1,408 in Ulu Tiram. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulu Tiram, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $453 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $938 in Ulu Tiram. That makes Ulu Tiram about 22% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Ulu Tiram. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $938 in Ulu Tiram. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $938 in Ulu Tiram to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Ulu Tiram is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 22% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.