Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phan Ghan and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phan Ghan and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,908 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,754 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Koh Phan Ghan costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phan Ghan 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 ฿137

$11.99 MX$210

-66.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 ฿1,414

$41.78 MX$731

0.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 ฿255

$10.75 MX$188

-29.30%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ฿88.3

$3.50 MX$61.1

-24.86%

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

$0.62 ฿20.80

$1.45 MX$25.33

-57.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.84

$0.88 MX$15.47

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 ฿76.1

$2.95 MX$51.6

-23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 ฿109

$4.51 MX$78.9

-27.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ฿71.4

$1.43 MX$25.04

48.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ฿58.0

$1.84 MX$32.13

-5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$1.57 MX$27.42

36.31%

Eggs

$2.12 ฿71.3

$2.51 MX$43.92

-15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.40 ฿618

$8.28 MX$145

122.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ฿120

$8.43 MX$147

-57.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 ฿419

$10.68 MX$187

16.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿108

$2.61 MX$45.62

23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.2

$1.44 MX$25.15

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿76.7

$1.96 MX$34.31

16.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 ฿64.5

$2.09 MX$36.62

-8.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.91

$1.85 MX$32.37

-21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.53

$2.17 MX$37.90

-35.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.75

$1.03 MX$18.04

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.55

$1.07 MX$18.78

-54.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 ฿137

$4.10 MX$71.7

-0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.94 ฿602

$10.17 MX$178

76.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.68 MX$29.29

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ฿87.5

$2.53 MX$44.17

3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ฿43.14

$0.51 MX$8.90

150.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ฿90.6

$3.23 MX$56.5

-16.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ฿31.26

$2.41 MX$42.06

-61.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 ฿420

$3.23 MX$56.5

287.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.19

$1.32 MX$23.10

-6.82%

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

$24.8K ฿831.8K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

-16.56%

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

$29.7K ฿997.7K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

25.59%

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

$122 ฿4,087

$82.0 MX$1,434

48.46%

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

$13.51 ฿454

$22.95 MX$401

-41.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.67 ฿627

$30.11 MX$527

-37.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,074

$52.0 MX$909

18.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿576

$18.53 MX$324

-7.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 ฿291

$4.98 MX$87.0

73.90%

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

$700 ฿23.5K

$197 MX$3,452

254.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.0K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

196.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ฿1,976

$35.60 MX$622

65.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 ฿1,158

$40.33 MX$705

-14.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ฿3,925

$78.8 MX$1,377

48.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 ฿2,825

$88.9 MX$1,555

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ฿14.7K

$947 MX$16.6K

-53.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$474 MX$8,288

-34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 ฿35.0K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-13.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,510 ฿84.3K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-38.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,776 ฿59.6K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-72.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 ฿24.2K

$654 MX$11.4K

10.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.42

-53.33%

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

Last update for Koh Phan Ghan: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Koh Phan Ghan and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phan Ghan pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Koh Phan Ghan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $249, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

Koh Phan Ghan and Playa del Carmen differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,061 vs $1,256 including rent). Koh Phan Ghan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Koh Phan Ghan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,061 per month in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Phan Ghan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Phan Ghan 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 Phan Ghan 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 Phan Ghan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.