Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phitsanulok and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Phitsanulok: $888 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phitsanulok, Thailand
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Phitsanulok
🇹🇭 Thailand
$888
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $888 per month in Phitsanulok vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Phitsanulok $888
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,437 per month in Phitsanulok vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Phitsanulok $1,437
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,986 per month in Phitsanulok vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Phitsanulok $1,986
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Phitsanulok is about 26% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phitsanulok and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Phitsanulok 35% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 ฿77.2
$10.92 MX$204
-79.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.59 ฿662
$43.37 MX$808
-54.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 ฿184
$11.78 MX$220
-53.74%
Cappuccino
$1.68 ฿56.7
$3.81 MX$71.0
-55.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.52
$1.28 MX$23.90
-50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ฿11.32
$0.78 MX$14.59
-56.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.33 ฿78.8
$3.17 MX$59.0
-26.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 ฿129
$4.93 MX$92.0
-22.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿68.3
$1.41 MX$26.22
43.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.42 ฿47.83
$2.22 MX$41.33
-36.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 ฿45.17
$1.42 MX$26.42
-5.63%
Eggs
$2.21 ฿74.8
$2.52 MX$47.03
-12.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.64 ฿562
$7.26 MX$135
129.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.72 ฿91.9
$7.70 MX$143
-64.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.37 ฿317
$12.69 MX$237
-26.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.38 ฿80.3
$2.78 MX$51.9
-14.39%
Banana (1kg)
$0.98 ฿32.95
$1.37 MX$25.50
-28.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.62 ฿54.8
$2.55 MX$47.55
-36.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.34
$2.12 MX$39.58
-31.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.31 ฿44.13
$1.94 MX$36.13
-32.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 ฿35.72
$1.89 MX$35.16
-43.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.95
$1.15 MX$21.37
-38.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.62
$1.18 MX$21.98
-55.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 ฿148
$4.30 MX$80.1
1.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.12 ฿612
$9.95 MX$185
82.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ฿55.1
$1.58 MX$29.52
3.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.67 MX$49.79
6.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.36
$0.55 MX$10.31
58.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$496
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.22 ฿41.12
$4.97 MX$92.6
-75.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿18.03
$3.33 MX$62.1
-84.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.35 ฿79.3
$5.36 MX$99.8
-56.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.44 MX$26.92
4.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K ฿702.8K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
0.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K ฿911.8K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
15.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.5 ฿2,076
$84.8 MX$1,581
-27.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.27 ฿414
$23.41 MX$436
-47.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.22 ฿683
$28.66 MX$534
-29.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.68 ฿1,610
$57.1 MX$1,063
-16.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.08 ฿442
$28.91 MX$539
-54.76%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71 ฿227
$5.14 MX$95.8
30.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$776 ฿26.2K
$207 MX$3,851
275.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.0K ฿505.5K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
281.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ฿1,812
$43.35 MX$808
23.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.26 ฿853
$41.44 MX$772
-39.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 ฿3,131
$74.2 MX$1,383
24.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.1 ฿2,433
$89.3 MX$1,664
-19.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$434 ฿14.7K
$980 MX$18.3K
-55.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$301 ฿10.2K
$381 MX$7,099
-21.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 ฿39.4K
$1,708 MX$31.8K
-31.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$707 ฿23.9K
$1,075 MX$20.0K
-34.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,942 ฿65.6K
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-50.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,443 ฿48.7K
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-76.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phitsanulok
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$471 ฿15.9K
$735 MX$13.7K
-35.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.45
-51.35%

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

Last update for Phitsanulok: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phitsanulok
$301
Playa del Carmen
$381 26.7% $80
Groceries & Markets
Phitsanulok
$237
Playa del Carmen
$255 7.5% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Phitsanulok
$110
Playa del Carmen
$112 1.9% $2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phitsanulok
$94
Playa del Carmen
$137 45.6% $43
Eating Out
Phitsanulok
$78
Playa del Carmen
$202 159% $124
Sport & Entertainment
Phitsanulok
$61
Playa del Carmen
$67 10.2% $6.2
Getting Around
Phitsanulok
$7.4 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 586% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in Phitsanulok versus $980 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 56% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Phitsanulok versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $255 – making Phitsanulok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phitsanulok
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
03:49 3:49 AM
15:49 3:49 PM
12 h behind Phitsanulok
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
66,106
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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phitsanulok Playa del Carmen 15,770 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phitsanulok
  • 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
Phitsanulok vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phitsanulok or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen costs about 36% more than Phitsanulok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phitsanulok and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,332 per month in Phitsanulok and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phitsanulok or Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phitsanulok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
How much does it cost to live in Phitsanulok compared to Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $888 in Phitsanulok and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Phitsanulok about 26% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Phitsanulok and in Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $776 per month in Phitsanulok and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Phitsanulok or in Playa del Carmen?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $888 in Phitsanulok and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phitsanulok or Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $888 in Phitsanulok to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Phitsanulok or to Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Phitsanulok. 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.

Phitsanulok vs other spots: cost of living compared

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