Canggu (Bali) vs Playa del Carmen
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Playa del Carmen edges it, 59 to 49, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Canggu (Bali) is stronger on safety, cost of living; Playa del Carmen on visa ease, getting there & around, internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Playa del Carmen |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 65 ✓ | 53 |
| Safety | 50 ✓ | 23 |
| Healthcare | 53 | 65 ✓ |
| Internet | 49 | 63 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 22 | 90 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 9 | 34 ✓ |
| Climate | 67 ✓ | 58 |
| Air quality | 85 | 91 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 45 | 54 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Playa del Carmen |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,042 ✓ | $1,376 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $897 | $738 ✓ |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Playa del Carmen |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.1 ✓ | 28.2 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.5 ✓ | 53.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 79 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 68.3 yrs | 70.8 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Playa del Carmen |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 17.9 Mbps | 34.6 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 9.4 Mbps | 16.8 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Playa del Carmen |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,998/mo | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | 180 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | 180 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | 180 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Playa del Carmen |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 65 | 134 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Canggu (Bali) | Playa del Carmen |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 8 ✓ | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.9 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Canggu (Bali) or Playa del Carmen?
- Canggu (Bali) is cheaper: about $1,042 per month versus $1,376 for one person.
- Is Canggu (Bali) or Playa del Carmen safer?
- Canggu (Bali) scores higher on safety (50 vs 23), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Canggu (Bali) or Playa del Carmen?
- Playa del Carmen: a measured median of 34.6 Mbps versus 17.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Canggu (Bali) vs Ubud (Bali)
- Canggu (Bali) vs Yogyakarta
- Playa del Carmen vs Cancún
- Playa del Carmen vs Puerto Vallarta
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.