Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lopburi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lopburi: $802 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lopburi
🇹🇭 Thailand
$802
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $802 in Lopburi versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lopburi $802
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Lopburi versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lopburi $1,300
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,797 in Lopburi versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lopburi $1,797
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Lopburi costs roughly 34% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lopburi 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.31 ฿43.91
$10.76 MX$199
-87.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.78 ฿394
$43.03 MX$795
-72.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.45 ฿149
$11.79 MX$218
-62.26%
Cappuccino
$1.18 ฿39.40
$3.87 MX$71.4
-69.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 ฿25.06
$1.37 MX$25.29
-45.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.52
$0.84 MX$15.44
-63.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.13 ฿71.0
$3.10 MX$57.3
-31.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 ฿96.7
$5.07 MX$93.6
-43.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 ฿38.59
$1.44 MX$26.55
-20.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.28 ฿42.91
$2.23 MX$41.23
-42.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.72
$1.47 MX$27.17
-12.93%
Eggs
$1.73 ฿57.9
$2.53 MX$46.71
-31.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.59 ฿421
$7.30 MX$135
72.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.50 ฿83.6
$7.86 MX$145
-68.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.96 ฿333
$12.79 MX$236
-22.13%
Apples (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.72
$2.90 MX$53.6
-52.76%
Banana (1kg)
$0.85 ฿28.32
$1.44 MX$26.53
-40.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.16 ฿38.66
$2.55 MX$47.07
-54.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.58 ฿52.8
$2.06 MX$38.03
-23.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 ฿60.6
$2.00 MX$36.97
-9.50%
Onion (1kg)
$0.86 ฿28.78
$2.01 MX$37.07
-57.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.83 ฿27.69
$1.19 MX$22.02
-30.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41 ฿13.82
$1.26 MX$23.23
-67.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.47 ฿149
$4.40 MX$81.4
1.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.07 ฿470
$9.59 MX$177
46.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 ฿56.3
$1.59 MX$29.41
5.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ฿62.3
$2.81 MX$51.9
-33.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿30.93
$0.57 MX$10.47
63.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.82 MX$514
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.36 ฿78.9
$4.98 MX$92.1
-52.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 ฿50.8
$3.50 MX$64.6
-56.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.00 ฿167
$5.40 MX$99.8
-7.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 ฿48.68
$1.47 MX$27.08
-0.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.5K ฿552.3K
$21.0K MX$387.8K
-21.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K ฿873.8K
$23.9K MX$441.8K
9.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.6 ฿2,759
$84.2 MX$1,556
-1.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.32 ฿311
$23.99 MX$443
-61.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.98 ฿300
$29.02 MX$536
-69.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.06 ฿1,573
$63.0 MX$1,164
-25.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.11 ฿471
$29.14 MX$539
-51.58%
Cinema Ticket
$6.72 ฿225
$4.94 MX$91.3
36.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$708 ฿23.7K
$204 MX$3,763
247.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,016 ฿201.0K
$3,941 MX$72.8K
52.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$6.11 ฿204
$43.60 MX$806
-85.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.13 ฿1,174
$43.12 MX$797
-18.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.9 ฿2,404
$75.8 MX$1,400
-5.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.1 ฿1,809
$88.6 MX$1,637
-38.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$442 ฿14.8K
$1,008 MX$18.6K
-56.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$296 ฿9,904
$374 MX$6,911
-20.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,365 ฿45.6K
$1,708 MX$31.6K
-20.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$747 ฿25.0K
$1,106 MX$20.4K
-32.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,932 ฿64.6K
$3,944 MX$72.9K
-51.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,551 ฿51.8K
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-74.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lopburi
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$754 MX$13.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.3
11.45
-44.98%

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

Last update for Lopburi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lopburi
$296
Playa del Carmen
$374 26.2% $78
Groceries & Markets
Lopburi
$197
Playa del Carmen
$258 31.3% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lopburi
$101
Playa del Carmen
$137 36% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Lopburi
$75
Playa del Carmen
$113 50.1% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Lopburi
$61
Playa del Carmen
$73 20.4% $12
Eating Out
Lopburi
$59
Playa del Carmen
$202 245% $144
Getting Around
Lopburi
$14 *
Playa del Carmen
$53 285% $39

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 $442 in Lopburi and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Lopburi vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $258 per month, with Lopburi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Lopburi
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
08:03 8:03 AM
20:03 8:03 PM
12 h behind Lopburi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,500
149,923
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lopburi Playa del Carmen 15,990 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lopburi
  • 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
Lopburi vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Lopburi?
Lopburi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,203 in Lopburi and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Lopburi and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $442 in Lopburi versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $708 in Lopburi versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Lopburi or in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Lopburi – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Lopburi or in Playa del Carmen?
At $802 in Lopburi versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lopburi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lopburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Lopburi or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
For families, Lopburi is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Lopburi or Playa del Carmen?
Safety-wise, Lopburi 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Lopburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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