Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index
59

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

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Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Hat Yai versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Hat Yai $731
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Hat Yai versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Hat Yai $1,300
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,870 in Hat Yai versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Hat Yai $1,870
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Hat Yai costs roughly 40% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hat Yai 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿96.9

$10.76 MX$199

-73.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.67 ฿1,460

$43.03 MX$795

1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ฿122

$11.79 MX$218

-68.96%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ฿96.3

$3.87 MX$71.4

-25.58%

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

$1.33 ฿44.34

$1.37 MX$25.29

-2.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.60

$0.84 MX$15.44

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ฿60.1

$3.10 MX$57.3

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ฿116

$5.07 MX$93.6

-31.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.55

$1.44 MX$26.55

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ฿41.68

$2.23 MX$41.23

-43.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.28

$1.47 MX$27.17

-15.65%

Eggs

$2.51 ฿83.9

$2.53 MX$46.71

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.15 ฿740

$7.30 MX$135

203.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.7

$7.86 MX$145

-71.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ฿374

$12.79 MX$236

-12.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ฿84.8

$2.90 MX$53.6

-12.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.10

$1.44 MX$26.53

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$2.55 MX$47.07

-25.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ฿60.3

$2.06 MX$38.03

-12.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.94

$2.00 MX$36.97

-27.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.38

$2.01 MX$37.07

-48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$1.19 MX$22.02

-10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.57

$1.26 MX$23.23

-67.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ฿146

$4.40 MX$81.4

-0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 ฿502

$9.59 MX$177

56.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.59 MX$29.41

11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ฿66.4

$2.81 MX$51.9

-29.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ฿18.98

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿41.71

$4.98 MX$92.1

-74.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.78

$3.50 MX$64.6

-67.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ฿165

$5.40 MX$99.8

-8.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.15

$1.47 MX$27.08

-12.24%

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

$18.9K ฿630.6K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-10.09%

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

$45.1K ฿1.5M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

88.71%

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

$84.4 ฿2,819

$84.2 MX$1,556

0.18%

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

$11.75 ฿393

$23.99 MX$443

-51.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 ฿322

$29.02 MX$536

-66.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 ฿1,619

$63.0 MX$1,164

-23.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ฿471

$29.14 MX$539

-51.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ฿240

$4.94 MX$91.3

45.55%

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

$562 ฿18.8K

$204 MX$3,763

175.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.3K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

171.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ฿1,255

$43.60 MX$806

-13.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 ฿878

$43.12 MX$797

-39.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ฿2,369

$75.8 MX$1,400

-6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ฿3,250

$88.6 MX$1,637

9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ฿9,010

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-73.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ฿3,576

$374 MX$6,911

-71.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-57.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-64.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.0K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-51.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 ฿52.9K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-74.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$754 MX$13.9K

-40.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

11.45

-44.45%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hat Yai

$249 34.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 3.7% $9.2

Accommodation & Living

Hat Yai

$107 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 250% $267

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hat Yai

$106 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 29.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Hat Yai

$104 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 8.3% $8.6

Eating Out

Hat Yai

$92 12.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 119% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Hat Yai

$63 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 16% $10

Getting Around

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 473% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Hat Yai and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 67% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Hat Yai vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $258, with Hat Yai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

15:35 3:35 PM

12 h behind Hat Yai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,802

149,923

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hat Yai Playa del Carmen 16,830 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Hat Yai
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

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

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Hat Yai versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $562 in Hat Yai versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Hat Yai versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hat Yai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hat Yai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.