Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selangor and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,020 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Selangor 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 Selangor and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Selangor vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Selangor $1,020
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,469 per month in Selangor vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Selangor $1,469
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,918 per month in Selangor vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Selangor $1,918
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Selangor is about 16% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Selangor and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Selangor 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.33 MYR 17.67

$10.76 MX$199

-59.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 MYR 78.3

$43.03 MX$795

-55.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.04 MYR 16.46

$11.79 MX$218

-65.73%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$3.87 MX$71.4

-41.60%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$1.37 MX$25.29

-43.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.84 MX$15.44

-44.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.08

$3.10 MX$57.3

42.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 MYR 20.24

$5.07 MX$93.6

-2.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.44 MX$26.55

34.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.30

$2.23 MX$41.23

-52.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$1.47 MX$27.17

4.08%

Eggs

$1.92 MYR 7.82

$2.53 MX$46.71

-24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 MYR 58.2

$7.30 MX$135

95.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$7.86 MX$145

-44.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 39.16

$12.79 MX$236

-24.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.04

$2.90 MX$53.6

18.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.52

$1.44 MX$26.53

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$2.55 MX$47.07

-8.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.49

$2.06 MX$38.03

-22.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.45

$2.00 MX$36.97

-33.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.21

$2.01 MX$37.07

-48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$1.19 MX$22.02

-6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$1.26 MX$23.23

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MYR 18.35

$4.40 MX$81.4

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.53 MYR 79.7

$9.59 MX$177

103.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

$1.59 MX$29.41

125.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.81

$2.81 MX$51.9

72.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 MYR 4.87

$0.57 MX$10.47

108.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 50.0

$27.82 MX$514

-55.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$4.98 MX$92.1

-75.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.10

$3.50 MX$64.6

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MYR 17.72

$5.40 MX$99.8

-19.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$1.47 MX$27.08

-50.34%

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

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

99.69%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

47.45%

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

$63.4 MYR 258

$84.2 MX$1,556

-24.76%

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

$8.50 MYR 34.69

$23.99 MX$443

-64.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.97 MYR 106

$29.02 MX$536

-10.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 MYR 168

$63.0 MX$1,164

-34.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.87 MYR 28.04

$29.14 MX$539

-76.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MYR 20.59

$4.94 MX$91.3

2.23%

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

$122 MYR 499

$204 MX$3,763

-39.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

82.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MYR 289

$43.60 MX$806

62.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MYR 169

$43.12 MX$797

-3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 MYR 315

$75.8 MX$1,400

1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 MYR 339

$88.6 MX$1,637

-6.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MYR 2,083

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-49.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 MYR 1,413

$374 MX$6,911

-7.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 MYR 3,589

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-48.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,963

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-56.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 MYR 6,438

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-59.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$705 MYR 2,875

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-88.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,019 MYR 4,157

$754 MX$13.9K

35.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

11.45

-65.41%

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

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Selangor

$346 34%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 8% $28

Groceries & Markets

Selangor

$266 26.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 2.9% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Selangor

$123 12%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 7.8% $9.6

Eating Out

Selangor

$111 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 82.2% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selangor

$98 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 40.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Selangor

$51 5%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 42.4% $22

Getting Around

Selangor

$25 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 114% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Selangor versus $1,008 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 run about 35% higher in Selangor, 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 $19.00 in Selangor versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Selangor vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Selangor

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

18:25 6:25 PM

13 h behind Selangor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

281,717

149,923

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Selangor Playa del Carmen 17,200 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Selangor
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,529 per month in Selangor and $1,816 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 Selangor, 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 $1,020 in Selangor and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 127% less in Selangor. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Selangor, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Selangor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Selangor – 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 Selangor. 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.