Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 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.

43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $900 per month in Skudai vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Skudai $900
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,370 per month in Skudai vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Skudai $1,370
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Skudai vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Skudai $1,840
Playa del Carmen $2,959

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.82

$10.92 MX$203

-66.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.25 MYR 74.5

$43.37 MX$805

-57.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 20.03

$11.78 MX$218

-58.40%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.72

$3.81 MX$70.7

-24.67%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$1.28 MX$23.79

-35.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.78 MX$14.52

-42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MYR 13.61

$3.17 MX$58.7

5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 MYR 22.95

$4.93 MX$91.5

14.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$1.41 MX$26.09

23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$2.22 MX$41.12

-54.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.06

$1.42 MX$26.29

4.23%

Eggs

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$2.52 MX$46.80

-34.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 MYR 39.40

$7.26 MX$135

32.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 MYR 13.07

$7.70 MX$143

-58.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 MYR 39.24

$12.69 MX$235

-24.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 MYR 13.96

$2.78 MX$51.6

23.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$1.37 MX$25.38

24.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MYR 10.68

$2.55 MX$47.32

2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.68

$2.12 MX$39.38

-22.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.74

$1.94 MX$35.96

-27.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.08

$1.89 MX$34.98

-8.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$1.15 MX$21.27

19.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$1.18 MX$21.87

-56.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MYR 17.48

$4.30 MX$79.7

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 MYR 56.5

$9.95 MX$185

38.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 MYR 11.18

$1.58 MX$29.37

73.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$2.67 MX$49.55

11.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$0.55 MX$10.26

50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.95 MYR 44.74

$26.62 MX$494

-58.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 4.13

$4.97 MX$92.2

-79.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 MYR 1.46

$3.33 MX$61.8

-89.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 MYR 36.89

$5.36 MX$99.4

68.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 MYR 3.50

$1.44 MX$26.79

-40.28%

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

$44.3K MYR 180.8K

$20.7K MX$383.4K

114.22%

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

$36.0K MYR 147.1K

$23.5K MX$435.3K

53.45%

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

$48.79 MYR 199

$84.8 MX$1,573

-42.46%

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

$8.16 MYR 33.35

$23.41 MX$434

-65.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.88 MYR 110

$28.66 MX$532

-6.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.95 MYR 151

$57.1 MX$1,058

-35.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 MYR 30.84

$28.91 MX$536

-73.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.16

$5.14 MX$95.3

-4.09%

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

$235 MYR 961

$207 MX$3,832

13.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,393 MYR 17.9K

$3,927 MX$72.9K

11.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 MYR 206

$43.35 MX$804

16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.62 MYR 67.9

$41.44 MX$769

-59.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 316

$74.2 MX$1,376

4.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 MYR 349

$89.3 MX$1,656

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 MYR 1,460

$980 MX$18.2K

-63.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,269

$381 MX$7,064

-18.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MYR 2,657

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-61.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 MYR 2,308

$1,075 MX$19.9K

-47.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,956 MYR 7,990

$3,943 MX$73.1K

-50.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,161 MYR 4,742

$6,158 MX$114.2K

-81.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.6K

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 Skudai: 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

Skudai

$311 34.5%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 22.6% $70

Groceries & Markets

Skudai

$226 25.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 12.5% $28

Eating Out

Skudai

$111 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 82% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Skudai

$103 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 8% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skudai

$84 9.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 63.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Skudai

$47 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 43.8% $20

Getting Around

Skudai

$17 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 196% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $357 in Skudai 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Skudai versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $255 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Skudai

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

08:23 8:23 AM

13 h behind Skudai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,733

149,923

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.57 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18.55 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.73 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skudai Playa del Carmen 17,290 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Skudai
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,349 per month in Skudai 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 Skudai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $357 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $900 in Skudai and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Skudai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Skudai, where all-in costs run around $900, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Skudai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $900 in Skudai to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Skudai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 34% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.