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: $1,042 in Krabi versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,438 in Krabi versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,834 in Krabi versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Krabi costs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Krabi 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ฿102

$11.96 MX$203

-74.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 ฿641

$47.38 MX$804

-59.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 ฿293

$11.75 MX$199

-24.51%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ฿59.2

$4.12 MX$70.0

-56.55%

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

$1.09 ฿36.18

$1.40 MX$23.75

-22.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿14.76

$0.91 MX$15.48

-50.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ฿63.4

$3.21 MX$54.4

-40.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ฿82.3

$7.07 MX$120

-64.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ฿75.6

$1.68 MX$28.46

36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ฿49.16

$2.15 MX$36.50

-30.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.8

$1.77 MX$30.11

24.29%

Eggs

$1.84 ฿60.8

$2.82 MX$47.78

-34.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 ฿529

$9.20 MX$156

74.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.81 ฿92.7

$9.23 MX$157

-69.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 ฿254

$12.64 MX$214

-39.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 ฿81.6

$2.95 MX$50.1

-16.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.52

$1.58 MX$26.80

-32.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ฿70.8

$2.22 MX$37.72

-3.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿51.5

$2.36 MX$40.11

-33.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$1.99 MX$33.82

-28.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.40

$1.98 MX$33.60

-33.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 ฿51.8

$1.24 MX$21.05

26.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.14

$1.21 MX$20.56

-59.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 ฿147

$4.60 MX$78.1

-3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 ฿362

$10.52 MX$179

4.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿60.2

$1.69 MX$28.71

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ฿79.5

$2.77 MX$47.09

-13.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ฿31.54

$0.60 MX$10.23

58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ฿81.5

$5.24 MX$88.9

-52.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 ฿58.4

$3.65 MX$61.9

-51.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 ฿200

$5.78 MX$98.2

4.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿42.24

$1.54 MX$26.11

-16.88%

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

$22.1K ฿730.9K

$22.8K MX$387.0K

-2.98%

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

$24.7K ฿817.1K

$25.8K MX$438.1K

-4.19%

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

$72.0 ฿2,378

$90.7 MX$1,539

-20.61%

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

$11.45 ฿378

$25.19 MX$428

-54.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.90 ฿823

$31.75 MX$539

-21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ฿2,117

$68.8 MX$1,168

-6.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.09 ฿300

$29.37 MX$498

-69.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ฿246

$4.86 MX$82.5

53.50%

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

$213 ฿7,049

$226 MX$3,830

-5.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,492 ฿280.6K

$4,194 MX$71.2K

102.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.92 ฿493

$47.38 MX$804

-68.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.40 ฿509

$43.45 MX$737

-64.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 ฿2,496

$80.2 MX$1,362

-5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 ฿2,500

$91.4 MX$1,551

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 ฿11.7K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-67.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ฿13.9K

$409 MX$6,936

2.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 ฿23.7K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-63.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 ฿17.9K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-57.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,229 ฿40.6K

$4,046 MX$68.7K

-69.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,076 ฿35.6K

$6,704 MX$113.8K

-83.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$708 ฿23.4K

$773 MX$13.1K

-8.48%

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $355 in Krabi and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 9% 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: $19.00 in Krabi vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $278 per month, with Krabi 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

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

Krabi and Playa del Carmen differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,042 vs $1,305 including rent). Krabi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $355 in Krabi versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,042 per month in Krabi versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,042 in Krabi versus $1,305 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.