Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Koh Samui and in Playa del Carmen: $1,221 and $1,204 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
58

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

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,221

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,221 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,221
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,093 per month in Koh Samui vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,093
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,965 per month in Koh Samui vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,965
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Koh Samui and Playa del Carmen have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Koh Samui and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Koh Samui 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 ฿146

$10.92 MX$204

-60.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.28 ฿1,090

$43.37 MX$808

-25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿289

$11.78 MX$220

-27.42%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ฿92.7

$3.81 MX$71.0

-27.82%

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

$0.89 ฿30.03

$1.28 MX$23.90

-30.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.57

$0.78 MX$14.59

-37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.17 MX$59.0

-19.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿122

$4.93 MX$92.0

-26.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.41 MX$26.22

17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.34

$2.22 MX$41.33

-34.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿53.4

$1.42 MX$26.42

11.27%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿73.0

$2.52 MX$47.03

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.29 ฿651

$7.26 MX$135

165.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿113

$7.70 MX$143

-56.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿367

$12.69 MX$237

-14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.3

$2.78 MX$51.9

5.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.2

$1.37 MX$25.50

16.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿77.2

$2.55 MX$47.55

-10.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿69.2

$2.12 MX$39.58

-3.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.83

$1.94 MX$36.13

-25.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.17

$1.89 MX$35.16

-27.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.70

$1.15 MX$21.37

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.64

$1.18 MX$21.98

-53.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

$4.30 MX$80.1

-0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.41 ฿622

$9.95 MX$185

85.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.58 MX$29.52

15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿96.3

$2.67 MX$49.79

6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$0.55 MX$10.31

178.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 ฿1,961

$26.62 MX$496

118.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ฿106

$4.97 MX$92.6

-36.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿36.16

$3.33 MX$62.1

-67.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 ฿138

$5.36 MX$99.8

-23.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$1.44 MX$26.92

6.25%

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

$27.5K ฿929.7K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

33.22%

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

$27.7K ฿936.9K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

18.23%

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

$104 ฿3,496

$84.8 MX$1,581

22.08%

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

$11.49 ฿388

$23.41 MX$436

-50.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.05 ฿610

$28.66 MX$534

-37.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 ฿2,360

$57.1 MX$1,063

22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 ฿383

$28.91 MX$539

-60.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ฿275

$5.14 MX$95.8

58.37%

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

$509 ฿17.2K

$207 MX$3,851

146.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ฿417.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

214.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,122

$43.35 MX$808

44.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿983

$41.44 MX$772

-29.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 ฿3,234

$74.2 MX$1,383

29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 ฿2,945

$89.3 MX$1,664

-2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿20.5K

$980 MX$18.3K

-38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ฿14.2K

$381 MX$7,099

10.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 ฿55.8K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-3.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 ฿41.2K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

13.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,583 ฿121.0K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-9.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,588 ฿87.4K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-57.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$405 ฿13.7K

$735 MX$13.7K

-44.84%

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 Samui: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Samui

$420 34.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 9.3% $39

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$267 21.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 4.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$133 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 2.9% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$124 10.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 9.7% $12

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$119 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 70.6% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$86 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 21.9% $19

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$73 6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 30.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Koh Samui versus $980 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.

Salaries run about 81% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Koh Samui versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Koh Samui vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

16:21 4:21 PM

12 h behind Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

149,923

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Koh Samui Playa del Carmen 16,580 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Koh Samui
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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,832 per month in Koh Samui and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koh Samui, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Koh Samui and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,221 in Koh Samui and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,221 in Koh Samui. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.