Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Phnom Penh: $1,037 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

50

Cost of Living Index in Phnom Penh
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Phnom Penh Living Index
60

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

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Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Phnom Penh $1,037
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Phnom Penh vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Phnom Penh $1,654
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $2,271 per month in Phnom Penh vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Phnom Penh $2,271
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Phnom Penh is about 15% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phnom Penh and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Phnom Penh 23% lower, Playa del Carmen 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ៛16.6K

$10.97 MX$201

-62.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 ៛160.7K

$44.85 MX$823

-11.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 ៛28.0K

$11.92 MX$219

-42.03%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ៛12.3K

$3.80 MX$69.9

-20.53%

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

$1.87 ៛7,583

$1.31 MX$24.08

42.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ៛2,487

$0.86 MX$15.72

-29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ៛3,969

$3.21 MX$59.0

-69.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ៛11.9K

$5.01 MX$92.0

-41.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ៛8,815

$1.46 MX$26.77

48.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ៛6,516

$2.33 MX$42.72

-30.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ៛4,322

$1.44 MX$26.48

-25.69%

Eggs

$1.73 ៛7,033

$2.46 MX$45.20

-29.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 ៛60.7K

$7.70 MX$141

94.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ៛16.5K

$7.89 MX$145

-48.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ៛37.5K

$12.80 MX$235

-27.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 ៛15.7K

$2.92 MX$53.6

32.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ៛6,889

$1.42 MX$26.11

19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 ៛17.4K

$2.57 MX$47.10

67.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ៛8,659

$2.14 MX$39.24

-0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,559

$1.95 MX$35.75

-16.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ៛5,180

$1.94 MX$35.55

-34.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ៛4,663

$1.15 MX$21.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ៛3,104

$1.22 MX$22.42

-36.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ៛7,895

$4.38 MX$80.3

-55.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 ៛45.4K

$9.85 MX$181

13.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,171

$1.54 MX$28.23

-33.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ៛7,274

$2.72 MX$49.86

-34.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ៛1,903

$0.52 MX$9.64

-9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ៛39.5K

$27.42 MX$503

-64.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ៛4,461

$4.91 MX$90.2

-77.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,960

$3.52 MX$64.7

-72.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 ៛20.9K

$5.69 MX$104

-9.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ៛5,492

$1.54 MX$28.27

-12.34%

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

$35.5K ៛144.1M

$21.2K MX$389.9K

67.31%

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

$43.9K ៛177.9M

$24.5K MX$449.6K

79.08%

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

$106 ៛431.9K

$83.6 MX$1,535

27.37%

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

$7.39 ៛30.0K

$24.03 MX$441

-69.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.24 ៛102.4K

$29.33 MX$539

-13.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.80 ៛165.5K

$64.9 MX$1,191

-37.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 ៛44.4K

$29.46 MX$541

-62.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ៛20.2K

$5.09 MX$93.4

-2.36%

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

$665 ៛2.7M

$208 MX$3,813

220.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ៛44.6M

$4,045 MX$74.3K

171.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.67 ៛112.2K

$44.55 MX$818

-37.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.26 ៛98.4K

$42.06 MX$772

-42.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 ៛364.1K

$75.5 MX$1,387

18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ៛239.7K

$91.4 MX$1,678

-35.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 ៛2.6M

$986 MX$18.1K

-35.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ៛1.5M

$385 MX$7,072

-4.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 ៛4.7M

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ៛3.3M

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-27.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,883 ៛11.7M

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-28.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 ៛6.0M

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-76.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 ៛1.3M

$758 MX$13.9K

-56.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

11.45

-29.52%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phnom Penh

$370 35.9%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 4.2% $16

Groceries & Markets

Phnom Penh

$252 24.5%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 3.4% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phnom Penh

$139 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 1.5% $2.1

Eating Out

Phnom Penh

$110 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 84.8% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Phnom Penh

$90 8.8%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 26.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Phnom Penh

$51 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 47.9% $24

Getting Around

Phnom Penh

$18 1.7%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 196% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $639 in Phnom Penh versus $986 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 129% 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 $40.00 in Phnom Penh versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $260 – making Phnom Penh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

03:38 3:38 AM

12 h behind Phnom Penh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,009,264 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodian Riel (៛)

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,056 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,549 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to KHR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phnom Penh Playa del Carmen 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phnom Penh
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,556 per month in Phnom Penh and $1,823 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 Phnom Penh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Phnom Penh and $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Phnom Penh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phnom Penh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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