Cost of Living Comparison Between Krabi and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Krabi and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $992 in Krabi versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Krabi versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,923 in Krabi versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Krabi costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Krabi 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.16 ฿106

$11.99 MX$209

-73.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.53 ฿825

$41.78 MX$728

-41.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 ฿205

$10.75 MX$187

-43.16%

Cappuccino

$2.60 ฿87.6

$3.50 MX$60.9

-25.71%

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

$0.95 ฿32.10

$1.45 MX$25.22

-34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.18

$0.88 MX$15.41

-55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿82.1

$2.95 MX$51.3

-17.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿94.0

$4.51 MX$78.6

-38.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 ฿86.7

$1.43 MX$24.94

80.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 ฿85.8

$1.84 MX$31.99

38.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.6

$1.57 MX$27.31

24.20%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿72.5

$2.51 MX$43.74

-13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.75 ฿900

$8.28 MX$144

223.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿122

$8.43 MX$147

-56.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 ฿266

$10.68 MX$186

-25.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ฿78.5

$2.61 MX$45.43

-10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 ฿29.98

$1.44 MX$25.04

-38.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ฿64.4

$1.96 MX$34.16

-2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$2.09 MX$36.47

-3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$1.85 MX$32.24

-17.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.78

$2.17 MX$37.74

-37.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$1.03 MX$17.96

44.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.93

$1.07 MX$18.70

-56.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ฿120

$4.10 MX$71.4

-12.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 ฿359

$10.17 MX$177

5.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿57.3

$1.68 MX$29.17

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ฿106

$2.53 MX$43.98

24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 ฿42.21

$0.51 MX$8.87

147.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ฿36.91

$3.23 MX$56.3

-65.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 ฿38.42

$2.41 MX$41.88

-52.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 ฿212

$3.23 MX$56.2

95.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ฿38.50

$1.32 MX$23.00

-13.64%

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

$27.3K ฿919.2K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-7.96%

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

$27.0K ฿906.7K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

13.94%

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

$44.55 ฿1,498

$82.0 MX$1,428

-45.68%

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

$12.92 ฿434

$22.95 MX$400

-43.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.62 ฿929

$30.11 MX$524

-8.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 ฿1,385

$52.0 MX$905

-20.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.22 ฿411

$18.53 MX$323

-34.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 ฿222

$4.98 MX$86.6

32.73%

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

$219 ฿7,363

$197 MX$3,438

10.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,680 ฿258.3K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

43.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.29 ฿1,120

$35.60 MX$620

-6.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 ฿1,155

$40.33 MX$702

-14.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 ฿3,575

$78.8 MX$1,371

35.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 ฿2,603

$88.9 MX$1,549

-12.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ฿16.7K

$947 MX$16.5K

-47.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ฿12.2K

$474 MX$8,254

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ฿19.8K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-64.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 ฿14.9K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-63.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,182 ฿39.7K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-70.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,046 ฿35.2K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-83.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$692 ฿23.3K

$654 MX$11.4K

5.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

11.42

-52.28%

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

Last update for Krabi: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Krabi and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krabi pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Krabi vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 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

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

Krabi and Playa del Carmen differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($992 vs $1,256 including rent). Krabi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Krabi, 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: $495 in Krabi 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 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $992 per month in Krabi versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $992 in Krabi versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krabi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Krabi 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, Krabi 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 Krabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.