Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibu: $905 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
Learn more

Sibu Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$905

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $905 per month in Sibu vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sibu $905
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,406 per month in Sibu vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sibu $1,406
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,906 per month in Sibu vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sibu $1,906
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Sibu is about 25% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sibu and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sibu 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 MYR 9.15

$10.92 MX$205

-79.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 MYR 78.0

$43.37 MX$814

-55.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 MYR 17.15

$11.78 MX$221

-64.09%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.31

$3.81 MX$71.5

-39.63%

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

$0.61 MYR 2.48

$1.28 MX$24.07

-52.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$0.78 MX$14.70

-70.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MYR 11.61

$3.17 MX$59.5

-9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MYR 18.10

$4.93 MX$92.7

-9.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.15

$1.41 MX$26.40

24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 MYR 3.54

$2.22 MX$41.62

-60.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.38

$1.42 MX$26.61

-6.34%

Eggs

$2.18 MYR 8.83

$2.52 MX$47.36

-13.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 MYR 54.1

$7.26 MX$136

83.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 MYR 19.90

$7.70 MX$144

-36.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.26

$12.69 MX$238

-21.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MYR 11.61

$2.78 MX$52.3

2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MYR 7.36

$1.37 MX$25.68

32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.58

$2.55 MX$47.89

-7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.87

$2.12 MX$39.86

-20.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.59

$1.94 MX$36.39

-28.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.41

$1.89 MX$35.41

-29.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MYR 4.29

$1.15 MX$21.53

-7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$1.18 MX$22.13

-52.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 MYR 18.19

$4.30 MX$80.6

4.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 MYR 78.2

$9.95 MX$187

93.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.24

$1.58 MX$29.73

91.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.72

$2.67 MX$50.1

72.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$0.55 MX$10.39

43.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.49 MYR 46.62

$26.62 MX$500

-56.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$4.97 MX$93.3

-79.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MYR 2.48

$3.33 MX$62.5

-81.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 MYR 29.49

$5.36 MX$101

35.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.51

$1.44 MX$27.11

-39.58%

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

$45.5K MYR 184.7K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

120.29%

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

$36.2K MYR 146.7K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

54.06%

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

$48.91 MYR 198

$84.8 MX$1,592

-42.32%

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

$7.37 MYR 29.89

$23.41 MX$439

-68.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 MYR 106

$28.66 MX$538

-8.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.13 MYR 110

$57.1 MX$1,071

-52.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.38 MYR 25.90

$28.91 MX$543

-77.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.72 MYR 15.11

$5.14 MX$96.5

-27.63%

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

$243 MYR 985

$207 MX$3,878

17.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,876 MYR 27.9K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

75.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 MYR 228

$43.35 MX$814

29.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 MYR 148

$41.44 MX$778

-12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 MYR 281

$74.2 MX$1,393

-6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 MYR 317

$89.3 MX$1,676

-12.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MYR 1,580

$980 MX$18.4K

-60.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,289

$381 MX$7,150

-16.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 MYR 2,830

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-59.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MYR 2,554

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-41.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,136 MYR 8,667

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-45.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MYR 4,727

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-81.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$487 MYR 1,975

$735 MX$13.8K

-33.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

11.45

-64.54%

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

Last update for Sibu: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Sibu

$318 35.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 19.9% $63

Groceries & Markets

Sibu

$258 28.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 1.4% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Sibu

$108 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 3.5% $3.7

Eating Out

Sibu

$85 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 138% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibu

$82 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 65.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Sibu

$35 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 94.7% $33

Getting Around

Sibu

$19 2.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 169% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $390 in Sibu 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 run about 51% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Sibu versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Sibu vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sibu

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

21:17 9:17 PM

13 h behind Sibu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,239

149,923

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sibu Playa del Carmen 16,730 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Sibu
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,357 per month in Sibu 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 Sibu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $390 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $905 in Sibu and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Sibu about 25% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $243 per month in Sibu and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $905 in Sibu and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $905 in Sibu to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sibu. 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.