Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakhon Ratchasima and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $777 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
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Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$777

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Nakhon Ratchasima $777
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Nakhon Ratchasima costs roughly 35% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ฿94.9

$10.86 MX$201

-73.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.08 ฿871

$44.21 MX$817

-41.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 ฿201

$11.76 MX$217

-48.89%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿64.2

$3.68 MX$68.0

-47.83%

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

$0.57 ฿19.14

$1.34 MX$24.79

-57.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.65

$0.82 MX$15.24

-64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 ฿61.1

$3.06 MX$56.6

-40.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿92.0

$4.94 MX$91.2

-44.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.47 MX$27.17

8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ฿42.52

$2.22 MX$40.95

-42.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ฿40.98

$1.48 MX$27.32

-16.89%

Eggs

$1.50 ฿50.2

$2.49 MX$45.99

-39.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 ฿522

$7.52 MX$139

107.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 ฿88.9

$7.96 MX$147

-66.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ฿338

$12.57 MX$232

-19.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ฿104

$2.78 MX$51.3

11.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.68

$1.43 MX$26.37

-10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.62 MX$48.37

-29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.1

$2.14 MX$39.49

-8.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.24

$2.02 MX$37.38

-40.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.37

$1.99 MX$36.74

-48.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ฿41.02

$1.14 MX$21.01

7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 ฿12.60

$1.20 MX$22.18

-68.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ฿96.7

$4.26 MX$78.7

-32.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 ฿590

$10.02 MX$185

76.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.54 MX$28.41

11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ฿100.0

$2.66 MX$49.17

12.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ฿14.40

$0.53 MX$9.73

-18.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.99 ฿635

$27.51 MX$508

-30.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ฿34.03

$4.90 MX$90.6

-79.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.66

$3.43 MX$63.5

-67.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.30 ฿244

$5.38 MX$99.4

35.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿45.03

$1.45 MX$26.76

-6.90%

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

$46.6K ฿1.6M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

120.42%

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

$26.6K ฿889.2K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

15.59%

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

$86.1 ฿2,877

$85.4 MX$1,577

0.86%

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

$11.39 ฿381

$23.46 MX$434

-51.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.25 ฿643

$28.43 MX$525

-32.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 ฿1,568

$62.2 MX$1,149

-24.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.91 ฿498

$28.68 MX$530

-48.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 ฿158

$5.10 MX$94.3

-7.65%

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

$180 ฿6,020

$201 MX$3,715

-10.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ฿470.9K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

256.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.69 ฿1,661

$44.39 MX$820

11.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.73 ฿994

$41.35 MX$764

-28.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 ฿2,637

$72.7 MX$1,344

8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 ฿2,243

$89.6 MX$1,656

-25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 ฿7,263

$979 MX$18.1K

-77.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ฿5,292

$373 MX$6,887

-57.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ฿16.6K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-70.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ฿14.1K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-61.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 ฿109.9K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-16.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,737 ฿58.1K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-71.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 ฿20.6K

$738 MX$13.6K

-16.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.1

11.45

-55.46%

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

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 9.8% $23

Accommodation & Living

Nakhon Ratchasima

$158 20.4%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 135% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nakhon Ratchasima

$117 15%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 17.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 10% $10

Eating Out

Nakhon Ratchasima

$82 10.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 144% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Nakhon Ratchasima

$56 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 28.5% $16

Getting Around

Nakhon Ratchasima

$27 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 88.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 20% 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: $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $258 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

18:17 6:17 PM

12 h behind Nakhon Ratchasima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,391

149,923

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 24, 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 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nakhon Ratchasima Playa del Carmen 15,930 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nakhon Ratchasima
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

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

Nakhon Ratchasima and Playa del Carmen differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($777 vs $1,204 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima 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, Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.