Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarinda and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarinda: $652 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Samarinda
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Samarinda Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Samarinda

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$652

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $652 per month in Samarinda vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Samarinda $652
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,055 per month in Samarinda vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Samarinda $1,055
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,457 per month in Samarinda vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Samarinda $1,457
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Samarinda is about 46% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Samarinda and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Samarinda 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.63 Rp 29.6K

$10.92 MX$205

-85.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.90 Rp 252.0K

$43.37 MX$815

-67.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.33 Rp 60.4K

$11.78 MX$221

-71.73%

Cappuccino

$1.45 Rp 26.3K

$3.81 MX$71.6

-61.94%

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

$0.45 Rp 8,244

$1.28 MX$24.10

-64.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 Rp 4,368

$0.78 MX$14.71

-69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 Rp 39.4K

$3.17 MX$59.5

-31.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 Rp 63.5K

$4.93 MX$92.7

-29.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

$1.41 MX$26.43

-24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$2.22 MX$41.66

-61.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 Rp 11.7K

$1.42 MX$26.64

-54.93%

Eggs

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

$2.52 MX$47.41

-45.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.12 Rp 129.1K

$7.26 MX$137

-1.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 Rp 64.2K

$7.70 MX$145

-54.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 Rp 181.9K

$12.69 MX$239

-20.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 Rp 90.5K

$2.78 MX$52.3

79.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 Rp 19.8K

$1.37 MX$25.71

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 Rp 19.5K

$2.55 MX$47.94

-58.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$2.12 MX$39.90

-33.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

$1.94 MX$36.43

-33.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$1.89 MX$35.44

-4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.15 MX$21.55

-29.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,225

$1.18 MX$22.16

-56.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 Rp 37.5K

$4.30 MX$80.7

-51.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.12 Rp 383.0K

$9.95 MX$187

112.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

$1.58 MX$29.76

24.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

$2.67 MX$50.2

9.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,781

$0.55 MX$10.40

-61.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.71 Rp 212.4K

$26.62 MX$500

-56.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,006

$4.97 MX$93.4

-89.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 Rp 6,003

$3.33 MX$62.6

-90.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 Rp 50.9K

$5.36 MX$101

-47.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.44 MX$27.14

-43.75%

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

$22.3K Rp 404.4M

$20.7K MX$388.4K

7.90%

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

$31.5K Rp 571.7M

$23.5K MX$441.0K

34.32%

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

$63.1 Rp 1.1M

$84.8 MX$1,594

-25.62%

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

$3.84 Rp 69.7K

$23.41 MX$440

-83.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.56 Rp 336.6K

$28.66 MX$539

-35.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.49 Rp 335.4K

$57.1 MX$1,072

-67.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.04 Rp 127.7K

$28.91 MX$543

-75.65%

Cinema Ticket

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

$5.14 MX$96.6

-46.89%

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

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$207 MX$3,882

-52.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,897 Rp 161.4M

$3,927 MX$73.8K

126.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.26 Rp 730.3K

$43.35 MX$815

-7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.22 Rp 493.8K

$41.44 MX$779

-34.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 Rp 1.3M

$74.2 MX$1,394

-4.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 Rp 1.2M

$89.3 MX$1,677

-27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 Rp 3.8M

$980 MX$18.4K

-78.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 Rp 2.9M

$381 MX$7,157

-57.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 Rp 9.6M

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-69.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 Rp 7.6M

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-60.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 Rp 22.3M

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-68.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$819 Rp 14.9M

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-86.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$327 Rp 5.9M

$735 MX$13.8K

-55.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

11.45

-17.38%

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

Last update for Samarinda: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Samarinda

$214 32.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 19.1% $41

Accommodation & Living

Samarinda

$161 24.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 136% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Samarinda

$91 14%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 22.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samarinda

$85 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 60.1% $51

Eating Out

Samarinda

$61 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 231% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Samarinda

$24 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 181% $43

Getting Around

Samarinda

$15 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 243% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $210 in Samarinda versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. 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 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14 in Samarinda versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $255 – making Samarinda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Samarinda

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

23:12 11:12 PM

13 h behind Samarinda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

726,223

149,923

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samarinda Playa del Carmen 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Samarinda
Playa del Carmen

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

Samarinda vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $978 per month in Samarinda and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samarinda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $210 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $652 in Samarinda and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Samarinda about 46% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Samarinda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Samarinda, where all-in costs run around $652, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Samarinda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samarinda – 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 Samarinda. 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.