Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sungai Petani and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sungai Petani: $804 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Sungai Petani
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Sungai Petani Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Sungai Petani

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$804

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $804 per month in Sungai Petani vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sungai Petani $804
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,203 per month in Sungai Petani vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sungai Petani $1,203
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,602 per month in Sungai Petani vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sungai Petani $1,602
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Sungai Petani is about 33% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sungai Petani and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sungai Petani 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.51 MYR 10.19

$10.92 MX$205

-77.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.12 MYR 69.5

$43.37 MX$814

-60.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.49 MYR 18.23

$11.78 MX$221

-61.88%

Cappuccino

$2.47 MYR 10.03

$3.81 MX$71.5

-35.17%

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

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$1.28 MX$24.07

-41.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.56

$0.78 MX$14.70

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 MYR 14.30

$3.17 MX$59.5

11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MYR 18.03

$4.93 MX$92.7

-9.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.28

$1.41 MX$26.40

26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.47

$2.22 MX$41.62

-50.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.85

$1.42 MX$26.61

19.01%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 9.18

$2.52 MX$47.36

-10.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 MYR 40.49

$7.26 MX$136

37.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MYR 18.34

$7.70 MX$144

-41.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 MYR 36.06

$12.69 MX$238

-29.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MYR 12.24

$2.78 MX$52.3

8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.56

$1.37 MX$25.68

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.01

$2.55 MX$47.89

6.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.68

$2.12 MX$39.86

-33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.44

$1.94 MX$36.39

-43.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.35

$1.89 MX$35.41

-43.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$1.15 MX$21.53

-1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$1.18 MX$22.13

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MYR 17.48

$4.30 MX$80.6

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.25 MYR 78.1

$9.95 MX$187

93.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.61

$1.58 MX$29.73

81.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 MYR 20.90

$2.67 MX$50.1

92.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.84

$0.55 MX$10.39

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 MYR 49.74

$26.62 MX$500

-53.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MYR 7.08

$4.97 MX$93.3

-64.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.53

$3.33 MX$62.5

-88.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 MYR 30.38

$5.36 MX$101

39.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$1.44 MX$27.11

-66.67%

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

$44.6K MYR 181.1K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

115.96%

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

$35.0K MYR 141.9K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

49.08%

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

$36.69 MYR 149

$84.8 MX$1,592

-56.73%

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

$9.93 MYR 40.28

$23.41 MX$439

-57.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.96 MYR 81.0

$28.66 MX$538

-30.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.41 MYR 99.0

$57.1 MX$1,071

-57.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.42 MYR 58.5

$28.91 MX$543

-50.12%

Cinema Ticket

$2.86 MYR 11.62

$5.14 MX$96.5

-44.36%

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

$397 MYR 1,609

$207 MX$3,878

92.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K MYR 42.8K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

168.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MYR 241

$43.35 MX$814

37.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.60 MYR 140

$41.44 MX$778

-16.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 MYR 302

$74.2 MX$1,393

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 MYR 283

$89.3 MX$1,676

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 MYR 731

$980 MX$18.4K

-81.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 MYR 976

$381 MX$7,150

-36.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 MYR 1,947

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-71.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 MYR 1,481

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-66.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,202 MYR 4,877

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-69.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$480 MYR 1,948

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-92.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 MYR 1,986

$735 MX$13.8K

-33.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

11.45

-64.72%

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

Last update for Sungai Petani: October 27, 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

Sungai Petani

$247 30.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 3.3% $8

Accommodation & Living

Sungai Petani

$241 29.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 58.2% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Sungai Petani

$107 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 4.2% $4.5

Eating Out

Sungai Petani

$94 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 115% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sungai Petani

$67 8.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 106% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Sungai Petani

$30 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 123% $37

Getting Around

Sungai Petani

$19 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 170% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $180 in Sungai Petani 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 50% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Sungai Petani versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $255 – making Sungai Petani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sungai Petani

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

12:30 12:30 PM

13 h behind Sungai Petani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,053

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 1, 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 1, 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

Sungai Petani Playa del Carmen 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Sungai Petani
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,206 per month in Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $180 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $804 in Sungai Petani and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Sungai Petani about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Sungai Petani. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sungai Petani, where all-in costs run around $804, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sungai Petani 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 $804 in Sungai Petani to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sungai Petani. 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.