Cost of Living Comparison Between Chanthaburi and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Chanthaburi and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $969 in Chanthaburi versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,640 in Chanthaburi versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,312 in Chanthaburi versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Chanthaburi costs roughly 23% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chanthaburi 29% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.18 ฿39.18

$11.60 MX$200

-89.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.09 ฿1,201

$47.11 MX$811

-23.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 ฿232

$11.88 MX$205

-41.33%

Cappuccino

$1.49 ฿49.69

$3.98 MX$68.5

-62.56%

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

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.43 MX$24.57

-63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.54

$0.82 MX$14.20

-64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 ฿56.2

$3.19 MX$54.9

-47.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ฿154

$6.79 MX$117

-31.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ฿50.6

$1.68 MX$28.85

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ฿50.6

$2.20 MX$37.83

-30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ฿30.70

$1.71 MX$29.41

-46.20%

Eggs

$2.08 ฿69.2

$2.74 MX$47.20

-24.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.79 ฿592

$9.58 MX$165

85.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.01 MX$155

-59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 ฿482

$12.81 MX$221

13.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 ฿135

$2.89 MX$49.74

40.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ฿58.8

$1.50 MX$25.78

18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ฿95.5

$2.15 MX$36.98

33.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ฿66.0

$2.26 MX$38.91

-12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ฿39.37

$1.98 MX$34.10

-40.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.0

$1.99 MX$34.26

-21.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ฿41.99

$1.23 MX$21.25

2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ฿19.16

$1.20 MX$20.60

-51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 ฿152

$4.55 MX$78.3

0.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 ฿493

$10.37 MX$179

42.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ฿57.5

$1.62 MX$27.88

6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ฿106

$2.88 MX$49.60

10.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.80

$0.60 MX$10.34

55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 ฿2,949

$28.80 MX$496

207.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ฿33.91

$5.39 MX$92.8

-81.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$3.73 MX$64.2

-71.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 ฿199

$5.77 MX$99.3

3.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ฿40.17

$1.54 MX$26.45

-21.43%

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

$31.0K ฿1.0M

$22.5K MX$388.3K

37.68%

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

$24.0K ฿800.4K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

-7.73%

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

$105 ฿3,485

$91.4 MX$1,573

14.54%

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

$3.53 ฿117

$25.20 MX$434

-85.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.74 ฿358

$31.24 MX$538

-65.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.48 ฿1,581

$67.2 MX$1,157

-29.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 ฿481

$29.11 MX$501

-50.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ฿182

$4.86 MX$83.7

12.35%

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

$545 ฿18.1K

$224 MX$3,851

143.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ฿567.6K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

303.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.31 ฿244

$47.10 MX$811

-84.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.97 ฿1,197

$44.29 MX$763

-18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ฿2,346

$80.1 MX$1,379

-12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$21.21 ฿706

$92.7 MX$1,596

-77.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-56.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ฿10.0K

$390 MX$6,719

-22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 ฿40.6K

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-43.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 ฿28.4K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-33.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,149 ฿71.5K

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-46.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 ฿46.4K

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-78.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.45

-53.01%

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

Last update for Chanthaburi: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Chanthaburi and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Chanthaburi vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $276 per month, with Chanthaburi cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chanthaburi and Playa del Carmen differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($969 vs $1,266 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,454 in Chanthaburi and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $458 in Chanthaburi versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 208% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $545 in Chanthaburi versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $969 in Chanthaburi versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chanthaburi and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.