Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Pinang and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pinang: $622 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tanjung Pinang
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Tanjung Pinang Living Index
57

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

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Tanjung Pinang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$622

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $622 per month in Tanjung Pinang vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tanjung Pinang $622
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $984 per month in Tanjung Pinang vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tanjung Pinang $984
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,346 per month in Tanjung Pinang vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tanjung Pinang $1,346
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Tanjung Pinang is about 48% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tanjung Pinang and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tanjung Pinang 54% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.30 Rp 59.8K

$10.67 MX$199

-69.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.72 Rp 267.0K

$43.80 MX$815

-66.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.29 Rp 59.6K

$11.79 MX$219

-72.09%

Cappuccino

$1.50 Rp 27.3K

$3.79 MX$70.5

-60.42%

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

$0.46 Rp 8,337

$1.30 MX$24.14

-64.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,978

$0.83 MX$15.51

-73.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

$3.15 MX$58.6

-40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 Rp 55.0K

$4.93 MX$91.8

-38.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$1.41 MX$26.22

-21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$2.20 MX$40.86

-52.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 Rp 14.1K

$1.47 MX$27.40

-47.62%

Eggs

$1.45 Rp 26.2K

$2.50 MX$46.46

-42.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 Rp 113.0K

$7.29 MX$136

-14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 Rp 51.6K

$7.95 MX$148

-64.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 Rp 124.6K

$12.86 MX$239

-46.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 Rp 44.4K

$2.90 MX$53.9

-15.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 25.0K

$1.38 MX$25.74

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

$2.49 MX$46.35

-42.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

$2.03 MX$37.77

-31.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 Rp 19.9K

$2.02 MX$37.68

-45.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$1.90 MX$35.42

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

$1.14 MX$21.30

-19.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,606

$1.24 MX$23.05

-66.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 Rp 47.0K

$4.27 MX$79.5

-39.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.36 Rp 387.5K

$9.81 MX$183

117.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 Rp 29.9K

$1.59 MX$29.51

3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 52.2K

$2.75 MX$51.1

4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,843

$0.51 MX$9.58

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.89 Rp 215.7K

$27.39 MX$510

-56.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 Rp 9,493

$4.76 MX$88.6

-89.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 Rp 5,778

$3.25 MX$60.5

-90.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 Rp 57.9K

$5.39 MX$100

-40.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

$1.53 MX$28.44

-57.52%

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

$22.1K Rp 400.1M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

3.98%

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

$35.8K Rp 649.4M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

53.90%

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

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

$83.5 MX$1,554

-19.15%

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

$4.51 Rp 81.8K

$23.19 MX$431

-80.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.62 Rp 337.7K

$27.61 MX$514

-32.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.88 Rp 306.2K

$56.4 MX$1,050

-70.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 Rp 162.1K

$28.19 MX$525

-68.29%

Cinema Ticket

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

$5.00 MX$93.1

-43.40%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$207 MX$3,854

-61.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K Rp 218.2M

$5,231 MX$97.3K

129.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.74 Rp 829.7K

$43.45 MX$809

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.73 Rp 539.4K

$42.54 MX$792

-30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.2 Rp 1.2M

$72.8 MX$1,354

-11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

$88.4 MX$1,645

-12.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 Rp 4.3M

$995 MX$18.5K

-76.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 Rp 2.4M

$382 MX$7,116

-64.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 Rp 11.0M

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-63.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 Rp 5.8M

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-70.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,290 Rp 23.4M

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-67.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$710 Rp 12.9M

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-88.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$193 Rp 3.5M

$832 MX$15.5K

-76.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.45

-17.47%

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

Last update for Tanjung Pinang: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tanjung Pinang

$189 30.5%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 35.8% $68

Accommodation & Living

Tanjung Pinang

$134 21.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 185% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Tanjung Pinang

$98 15.7%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 13.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tanjung Pinang

$91 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 48.2% $44

Eating Out

Tanjung Pinang

$72 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 176% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Tanjung Pinang

$23 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 195% $44

Getting Around

Tanjung Pinang

$15 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 235% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $236 in Tanjung Pinang versus $995 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 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Tanjung Pinang versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $257 – making Tanjung Pinang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Tanjung Pinang

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

15:30 3:30 PM

12 h behind Tanjung Pinang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

239,854

149,923

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tanjung Pinang Playa del Carmen 17,310 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Tanjung Pinang
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $933 per month in Tanjung Pinang and $1,804 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 Tanjung Pinang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $236 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $622 in Tanjung Pinang and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Tanjung Pinang about 48% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Tanjung Pinang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tanjung Pinang, where all-in costs run around $622, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Tanjung Pinang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tanjung Pinang – 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 Tanjung Pinang. 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.