Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 3% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$11.71 MX$198

-61.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$46.59 MX$786

-29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$11.65 MX$197

-23.61%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$4.09 MX$69.1

-31.54%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.37 MX$23.20

-35.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.83 MX$14.07

-40.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$3.35 MX$56.6

-28.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$6.91 MX$117

-46.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.73 MX$29.15

3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$2.26 MX$38.15

-36.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.77 MX$29.86

-10.73%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.73 MX$46.12

-21.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$9.18 MX$155

116.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$8.92 MX$151

-61.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$12.60 MX$213

-10.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$3.02 MX$51.0

-2.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.57 MX$26.51

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.13 MX$35.88

8.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.26 MX$38.22

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.00 MX$33.82

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$2.06 MX$34.85

-33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.18 MX$19.91

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.20 MX$20.32

-52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.63 MX$78.2

-7.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$10.69 MX$180

72.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.62 MX$27.33

15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.88 MX$48.63

1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.57 MX$9.68

289.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$29.83 MX$503

-23.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$5.45 MX$91.9

-44.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$3.70 MX$62.5

-71.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$5.98 MX$101

-34.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.55 MX$26.22

-3.87%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

21.50%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

5.79%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$89.1 MX$1,504

15.34%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$25.04 MX$423

-56.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$31.50 MX$532

-44.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$67.8 MX$1,144

-21.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$28.92 MX$488

-61.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.05 MX$85.2

48.12%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$225 MX$3,797

147.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

180.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$47.44 MX$801

35.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$44.98 MX$759

-35.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$82.0 MX$1,384

17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$92.1 MX$1,555

-1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$1,069 MX$18.0K

-31.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$405 MX$6,842

23.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-7.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,995 MX$67.4K

-10.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-62.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$749 MX$12.6K

-32.77%

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 Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 49% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $277 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.