Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ayutthaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayutthaya: $745 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Ayutthaya
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Ayutthaya Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Ayutthaya

🇹🇭 Thailand

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ayutthaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ayutthaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $745 in Ayutthaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ayutthaya $745

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,145 in Ayutthaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ayutthaya $1,145

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,545 in Ayutthaya, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Ayutthaya $1,545

Playa del Carmen costs about 62% more than Ayutthaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ayutthaya are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Ayutthaya 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$1.81 ฿61.1

503.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$21.93 ฿741

97.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$6.90 ฿233

70.72%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.82 ฿61.6

109.34%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.72 ฿24.33

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.31 ฿10.52

151.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.05 ฿69.3

54.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$2.92 ฿98.6

68.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.42 ฿47.97

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.33 ฿44.86

66.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.27 ฿42.84

11.81%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.72 ฿58.2

46.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$12.11 ฿409

-40.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$2.42 ฿81.6

218.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$8.19 ฿277

54.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.49 ฿84.1

11.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$0.94 ฿31.90

45.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.05 ฿69.3

24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.30 ฿43.89

63.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.72 ฿58.3

12.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.05 ฿35.30

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.86 ฿62.7

-38.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.41 ฿13.68

187.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$4.38 ฿148

-1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$14.28 ฿482

-30.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.57 ฿53.2

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.81 ฿61.0

47.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.02 ฿34.30

-46.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$11.85 ฿400

124.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.30 ฿43.98

282.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.56 ฿52.7

113.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$5.36 ฿181

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.19 ฿40.15

21.01%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$17.8K ฿599.9K

16.32%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$26.4K ฿891.4K

-11.11%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$77.0 ฿2,600

10.12%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$9.29 ฿314

151.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$14.97 ฿506

91.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$55.7 ฿1,882

2.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$8.79 ฿297

228.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$4.65 ฿157

10.54%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$181 ฿6,105

14.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$8,814 ฿297.7K

-55.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$67.6 ฿2,283

-35.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$38.74 ฿1,308

6.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$75.0 ฿2,532

-1.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$58.6 ฿1,980

52.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$218 ฿7,364

349.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$163 ฿5,518

133.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$503 ฿17.0K

239.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$290 ฿9,806

270.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,626 ฿54.9K

142.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,399 ฿47.2K

340.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$807 ฿27.3K

-8.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.75

205.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ayutthaya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Ayutthaya

$163 21.9% 57.1% $217

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Ayutthaya

$205 27.5% 19.6% $50

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Ayutthaya

$77 10.4% 61.8% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Ayutthaya

$101 13.6% 26% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Ayutthaya

$108 14.5% 3.3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Ayutthaya

$65 8.7% 3.4% $2.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ayutthaya

$25 3.4% 50.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $218 in Ayutthaya. 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 10% higher in Ayutthaya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $22 in Ayutthaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $205 – making Ayutthaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇭 Ayutthaya

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

02:00 2:00 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

50,830

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ayutthaya 16,040 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ayutthaya

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,117 in Ayutthaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ayutthaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $218 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $181 in Ayutthaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ayutthaya, where all-in costs run around $745, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Ayutthaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Ayutthaya is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 62% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.