Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lampang and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lampang: $849 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Lampang
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Lampang Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Lampang

🇹🇭 Thailand

$849

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $849 per month in Lampang vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lampang $849
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,421 per month in Lampang vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lampang $1,421
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,993 per month in Lampang vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lampang $1,993
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Lampang is about 29% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lampang and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Lampang 37% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 ฿70.6

$10.67 MX$201

-80.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.56 ฿626

$43.80 MX$824

-57.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ฿181

$11.79 MX$222

-54.45%

Cappuccino

$1.21 ฿40.75

$3.79 MX$71.2

-68.07%

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

$0.38 ฿12.69

$1.30 MX$24.41

-70.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.28

$0.83 MX$15.69

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ฿51.1

$3.15 MX$59.2

-52.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 ฿127

$4.93 MX$92.9

-23.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ฿66.8

$1.41 MX$26.51

40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.97

$2.20 MX$41.32

-32.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.89

$1.47 MX$27.71

-9.52%

Eggs

$2.33 ฿78.7

$2.50 MX$46.99

-6.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.95 ฿572

$7.29 MX$137

132.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$7.95 MX$150

-65.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 ฿308

$12.86 MX$242

-29.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿81.1

$2.90 MX$54.5

-17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ฿36.44

$1.38 MX$26.03

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.8

$2.49 MX$46.88

-36.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿55.0

$2.03 MX$38.20

-19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.18

$2.02 MX$38.11

-36.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ฿36.45

$1.90 MX$35.82

-43.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.88

$1.14 MX$21.54

-37.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.43

$1.24 MX$23.32

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 ฿140

$4.27 MX$80.4

-2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 ฿597

$9.81 MX$185

80.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 ฿52.7

$1.59 MX$29.85

-1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿94.9

$2.75 MX$51.7

2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.53

$0.51 MX$9.69

72.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.42

$4.76 MX$89.6

-75.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ฿6.51

$3.25 MX$61.1

-94.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 ฿58.9

$5.39 MX$101

-67.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 ฿34.08

$1.53 MX$28.76

-33.99%

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

$20.6K ฿693.7K

$21.2K MX$399.2K

-3.04%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$23.3K MX$437.8K

14.63%

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

$30.08 ฿1,015

$83.5 MX$1,571

-63.97%

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

$11.86 ฿400

$23.19 MX$436

-48.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.58 ฿593

$27.61 MX$520

-36.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.94 ฿1,651

$56.4 MX$1,062

-13.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ฿402

$28.19 MX$531

-57.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ฿178

$5.00 MX$94.1

5.40%

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

$735 ฿24.8K

$207 MX$3,897

254.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ฿555.3K

$5,231 MX$98.4K

214.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 ฿1,808

$43.45 MX$818

23.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ฿839

$42.54 MX$801

-41.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 ฿3,075

$72.8 MX$1,369

25.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,430

$88.4 MX$1,663

-18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ฿14.9K

$995 MX$18.7K

-55.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ฿10.5K

$382 MX$7,197

-18.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ฿40.0K

$1,674 MX$31.5K

-29.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 ฿26.4K

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-27.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,944 ฿65.6K

$3,909 MX$73.6K

-50.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 ฿53.4K

$6,138 MX$115.5K

-74.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$832 MX$15.7K

-29.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-73.80%

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

Last update for Lampang: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lampang

$311 36.7%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 22.8% $71

Groceries & Markets

Lampang

$239 28.1%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 7.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Lampang

$109 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 2.3% $2.4

Eating Out

Lampang

$65 7.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 207% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lampang

$60 7%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 126% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Lampang

$59 7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 11.7% $7

Getting Around

Lampang

$5.6 * 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 795% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $442 in Lampang versus $995 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 41% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Lampang versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $257 – making Lampang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Lampang

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

01:16 1:16 AM

12 h behind Lampang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,124

149,923

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lampang Playa del Carmen 15,630 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Lampang
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,273 per month in Lampang and $1,804 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 Lampang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $442 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Lampang and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lampang, where all-in costs run around $849, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Lampang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $849 in Lampang to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lampang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.