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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Playa del Carmen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.99 MX$209

-62.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,557

$41.78 MX$727

10.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$10.75 MX$187

-17.77%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.50 MX$60.8

-12.57%

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

$0.73 ฿24.46

$1.45 MX$25.21

-49.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.42

$0.88 MX$15.40

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿82.0

$2.95 MX$51.3

-17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.51 MX$78.5

-16.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.2

$1.43 MX$24.92

58.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿61.0

$1.84 MX$31.98

-1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿76.0

$1.57 MX$27.30

43.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.51 MX$43.72

-10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿658

$8.28 MX$144

135.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.43 MX$147

-56.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿440

$10.68 MX$186

22.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.61 MX$45.40

23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.44 MX$25.03

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.3

$1.96 MX$34.15

21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$2.09 MX$36.45

-2.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$1.85 MX$32.22

-17.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.17 MX$37.72

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.99

$1.03 MX$17.95

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.43

$1.07 MX$18.69

-51.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿150

$4.10 MX$71.4

8.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿618

$10.17 MX$177

80.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.8

$1.68 MX$29.15

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.4

$2.53 MX$43.96

5.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.57

$0.51 MX$8.86

176.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$26.04 MX$453

-55.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.23 MX$56.3

-3.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.14

$2.41 MX$41.86

-56.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿476

$3.23 MX$56.2

336.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.20

$1.32 MX$22.99

-0.76%

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

$27.8K ฿937.7K

$29.7K MX$516.8K

-6.33%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.7K MX$411.8K

40.37%

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

$122 ฿4,127

$82.0 MX$1,427

49.30%

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

$13.59 ฿458

$22.95 MX$399

-40.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿630

$30.11 MX$524

-37.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,039

$52.0 MX$904

16.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿573

$18.53 MX$322

-8.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿306

$4.98 MX$86.6

82.13%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$197 MX$3,436

257.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿532.8K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

196.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,974

$35.60 MX$619

64.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,192

$40.33 MX$702

-12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,892

$78.8 MX$1,370

46.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,823

$88.9 MX$1,548

-5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$947 MX$16.5K

-33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$474 MX$8,249

-6.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.8K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

24.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.3K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

23.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.4K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-14.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.9K

$6,470 MX$112.6K

-60.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$654 MX$11.4K

-23.56%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 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

On paper, salaries run 31% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,256 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.