Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lanta and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lanta and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $962 in Koh Lanta versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,578 in Koh Lanta versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,195 in Koh Lanta versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Koh Lanta costs roughly 26% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Lanta 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.70 ฿122

$11.71 MX$198

-68.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.79 ฿848

$46.59 MX$788

-44.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 ฿225

$11.65 MX$197

-41.37%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ฿76.5

$4.09 MX$69.2

-43.03%

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

$0.70 ฿23.15

$1.37 MX$23.23

-48.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.99

$0.83 MX$14.09

-56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ฿63.9

$3.35 MX$56.7

-42.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ฿98.4

$6.91 MX$117

-56.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ฿53.7

$1.73 MX$29.20

-5.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ฿42.00

$2.26 MX$38.21

-43.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.53

$1.77 MX$29.91

-18.08%

Eggs

$1.95 ฿64.1

$2.73 MX$46.19

-28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.04 ฿593

$9.18 MX$155

96.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 ฿99.3

$8.92 MX$151

-66.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 ฿330

$12.60 MX$213

-20.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ฿85.6

$3.02 MX$51.1

-13.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.15

$1.57 MX$26.55

-5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.6

$2.13 MX$35.93

-6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ฿62.5

$2.26 MX$38.28

-15.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.51

$2.00 MX$33.88

-31.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.83

$2.06 MX$34.90

-41.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.23

$1.18 MX$19.94

-16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.97

$1.20 MX$20.35

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 ฿133

$4.63 MX$78.4

-12.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ฿551

$10.69 MX$181

56.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿53.4

$1.62 MX$27.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿87.1

$2.88 MX$48.70

-7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 ฿59.1

$0.57 MX$9.69

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ฿81.4

$5.45 MX$92.1

-54.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ฿28.59

$3.70 MX$62.6

-76.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$5.98 MX$101

-47.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ฿39.39

$1.55 MX$26.26

-22.58%

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

$21.9K ฿719.5K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

-2.00%

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

$21.9K ฿719.8K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

-15.64%

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

$96.6 ฿3,175

$89.1 MX$1,507

8.34%

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

$10.73 ฿353

$25.04 MX$423

-57.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.73 ฿550

$31.50 MX$532

-46.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.72 ฿1,503

$67.8 MX$1,146

-32.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.32 ฿306

$28.92 MX$489

-67.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.35 ฿209

$5.05 MX$85.4

25.74%

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

$501 ฿16.5K

$225 MX$3,803

122.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K ฿341.3K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

145.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ฿1,966

$47.44 MX$802

26.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.68 ฿910

$44.98 MX$760

-38.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,021

$82.0 MX$1,386

12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 ฿2,741

$92.1 MX$1,557

-9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.4K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-59.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 ฿9,557

$405 MX$6,852

-28.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 ฿41.5K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-34.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 ฿24.3K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-43.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,112 ฿69.4K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-47.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-77.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.45

-51.35%

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

Last update for Koh Lanta: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Koh Lanta and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Koh Lanta vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $277 per month, with Koh Lanta 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

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

Koh Lanta and Playa del Carmen differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($962 vs $1,293 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,442 in Koh Lanta and $1,940 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: $437 in Koh Lanta versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $501 in Koh Lanta versus $225 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 Koh Lanta – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $962 in Koh Lanta versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Lanta but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Lanta 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, Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.