Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krabi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Krabi: $1,006 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Krabi
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Krabi Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Krabi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,006

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,006 in Krabi versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Krabi $1,006
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Krabi versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Krabi $1,391
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,775 in Krabi versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Krabi $1,775
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Krabi costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Krabi 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ฿99.4

$10.92 MX$204

-73.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.85 ฿637

$43.37 MX$808

-56.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 ฿286

$11.78 MX$220

-28.01%

Cappuccino

$1.75 ฿59.2

$3.81 MX$71.0

-54.07%

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

$1.05 ฿35.46

$1.28 MX$23.90

-17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ฿14.56

$0.78 MX$14.59

-44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ฿60.5

$3.17 MX$59.0

-43.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ฿78.5

$4.93 MX$92.0

-52.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ฿76.0

$1.41 MX$26.22

59.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.22 MX$41.33

-32.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.9

$1.42 MX$26.42

45.77%

Eggs

$1.88 ฿63.6

$2.52 MX$47.03

-25.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 ฿542

$7.26 MX$135

121.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.2

$7.70 MX$143

-64.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 ฿264

$12.69 MX$237

-38.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ฿80.2

$2.78 MX$51.9

-14.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.91

$1.37 MX$25.50

-24.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.7

$2.55 MX$47.55

-13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.56

$2.12 MX$39.58

-32.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.97

$1.94 MX$36.13

-28.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.51

$1.89 MX$35.16

-31.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.15 MX$21.37

27.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$1.18 MX$21.98

-56.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿153

$4.30 MX$80.1

5.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 ฿352

$9.95 MX$185

4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.9

$1.58 MX$29.52

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ฿83.1

$2.67 MX$49.79

-7.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.28

$0.55 MX$10.31

69.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 ฿79.1

$4.97 MX$92.6

-52.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ฿60.2

$3.33 MX$62.1

-46.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 ฿205

$5.36 MX$99.8

13.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ฿46.34

$1.44 MX$26.92

-4.86%

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

$21.7K ฿733.6K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

5.12%

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

$24.4K ฿825.4K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

4.16%

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

$69.1 ฿2,333

$84.8 MX$1,581

-18.52%

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

$11.47 ฿387

$23.41 MX$436

-51.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 ฿825

$28.66 MX$534

-14.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 ฿2,090

$57.1 MX$1,063

8.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.09 ฿307

$28.91 MX$539

-68.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 ฿248

$5.14 MX$95.8

42.61%

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,136 ฿274.7K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

107.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.70 ฿496

$43.35 MX$808

-66.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.01 ฿507

$41.44 MX$772

-63.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ฿2,509

$74.2 MX$1,383

0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ฿2,515

$89.3 MX$1,664

-16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 ฿11.5K

$980 MX$18.3K

-65.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ฿14.0K

$381 MX$7,099

8.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 ฿23.6K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-52.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,186 ฿40.1K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-69.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ฿34.4K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-83.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$708 ฿23.9K

$735 MX$13.7K

-3.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.4

11.45

-35.37%

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

Last update for Krabi: 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

Krabi

$414 41.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 8% $33

Groceries & Markets

Krabi

$226 22.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 12.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krabi

$105 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 30.4% $32

Eating Out

Krabi

$90 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 126% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Krabi

$80 8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 39.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Krabi

$77 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 12.1% $9.2

Getting Around

Krabi

$15 * 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 237% $35

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 $339 in Krabi and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 4% 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: $19 in Krabi vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $255 per month, with Krabi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Krabi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

13:00 1:00 PM

12 h behind Krabi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

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

Krabi Playa del Carmen 16,760 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Krabi
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

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

Krabi and Playa del Carmen differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,006 vs $1,204 including rent). Krabi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Krabi. 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: $339 in Krabi versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Krabi – a meal for two runs $19 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,006 per month in Krabi versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Krabi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Krabi wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.