Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampong Thom and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampong Thom and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $607 per month in Kampong Thom vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $960 per month in Kampong Thom vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,312 per month in Kampong Thom vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kampong Thom is about 52% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kampong Thom and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kampong Thom 55% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.87 ៛19.4K

$11.67 MX$203

-58.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ៛117.8K

$41.88 MX$728

-29.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 ៛27.4K

$10.40 MX$181

-34.04%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ៛10.1K

$3.61 MX$62.9

-29.64%

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

$1.00 ៛3,978

$1.47 MX$25.54

-31.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ៛3,969

$0.91 MX$15.86

8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ៛5,898

$3.03 MX$52.8

-51.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ៛9,814

$4.47 MX$77.7

-44.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ៛8,529

$1.38 MX$23.91

55.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ៛5,866

$1.84 MX$32.04

-20.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ៛3,883

$1.61 MX$27.91

-39.75%

Eggs

$1.75 ៛6,989

$2.57 MX$44.67

-31.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 ៛51.0K

$8.49 MX$148

50.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 ៛16.0K

$8.49 MX$148

-52.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 ៛41.0K

$10.99 MX$191

-6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 ៛17.5K

$2.73 MX$47.42

61.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ៛6,123

$1.50 MX$26.01

2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 ៛15.1K

$1.96 MX$34.05

92.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ៛5,874

$2.12 MX$36.83

-30.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ៛6,734

$1.86 MX$32.41

-9.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ៛4,808

$2.17 MX$37.80

-44.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ៛5,779

$1.07 MX$18.65

35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ៛2,694

$1.05 MX$18.24

-35.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 ៛8,078

$4.19 MX$72.9

-51.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 ៛47.3K

$10.28 MX$179

15.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ៛4,155

$1.67 MX$28.97

-37.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ៛6,690

$2.49 MX$43.27

-32.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ៛4,244

$3.10 MX$54.0

-65.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ៛3,948

$2.46 MX$42.81

-59.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 ៛17.7K

$3.24 MX$56.3

37.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ៛4,682

$1.26 MX$21.91

-7.14%

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

$49.2K ៛196.5M

$30.2K MX$524.6K

63.23%

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

$36.5K ៛145.7M

$23.4K MX$407.7K

55.76%

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

$106 ៛423.6K

$84.0 MX$1,461

26.37%

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

$6.43 ៛25.7K

$22.21 MX$386

-71.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.32 ៛93.1K

$29.65 MX$516

-21.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 ៛18.4K

$4.95 MX$86.0

-7.07%

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

$379 ៛1.5M

$198 MX$3,449

91.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ៛44.9M

$5,322 MX$92.5K

111.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.51 ៛89.8K

$35.95 MX$625

-37.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.46 ៛89.6K

$40.06 MX$697

-43.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 ៛355.0K

$78.8 MX$1,370

12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ៛291.0K

$86.5 MX$1,504

-15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

11.42

-9.81%

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

Last update for Kampong Thom: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $0 in Kampong Thom versus $977 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Kampong Thom versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $252 – making Kampong Thom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 108%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $910 per month in Kampong Thom and $1,891 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $607 in Kampong Thom and $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $379 per month in Kampong Thom and $198 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kampong Thom, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Kampong Thom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kampong Thom – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kampong Thom. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.