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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 2% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$11.73 MX$205

-59.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$41.62 MX$727

9.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$10.64 MX$186

-20.77%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$3.52 MX$61.4

-16.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$1.51 MX$26.37

-54.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.97 MX$17.00

-61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.95 MX$51.5

-18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.45 MX$77.8

-16.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.38 MX$24.16

61.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.89 MX$33.03

-3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.64 MX$28.59

32.32%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$2.51 MX$43.76

-11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$8.34 MX$146

136.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.34 MX$146

-56.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$10.73 MX$187

26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.60 MX$45.47

26.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.46 MX$25.45

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.90 MX$33.19

26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$2.08 MX$36.26

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$1.78 MX$31.01

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$2.19 MX$38.16

-32.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$1.04 MX$18.16

-4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$1.08 MX$18.80

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.08 MX$71.3

8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$10.32 MX$180

87.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$1.71 MX$29.90

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$2.58 MX$44.97

5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.51 MX$8.90

168.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$26.46 MX$462

-56.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$3.26 MX$57.0

-7.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$2.49 MX$43.50

-60.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$3.25 MX$56.7

333.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.31 MX$22.83

3.82%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

-6.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.4K MX$409.2K

40.43%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$82.9 MX$1,447

46.86%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$22.22 MX$388

-38.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$29.34 MX$512

-37.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$51.6 MX$902

16.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$18.32 MX$320

-6.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$5.07 MX$88.5

71.40%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$201 MX$3,507

245.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

201.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$36.92 MX$645

61.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$39.79 MX$695

-12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$78.5 MX$1,370

46.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$87.1 MX$1,521

-4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$973 MX$17.0K

-36.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$468 MX$8,168

-6.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$1,641 MX$28.7K

27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$1,221 MX$21.3K

23.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$3,946 MX$68.9K

-4.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-59.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$664 MX$11.6K

-23.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.42

-53.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 31% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 31% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,297 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 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.