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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $640 in Battambang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,006 in Battambang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 in Battambang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 96% more expensive than in Battambang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Battambang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.49 ៛10.0K

381.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$18.27 ៛73.7K

128.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.70 ៛23.0K

88.60%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.52 ៛6,117

130.26%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.63 ៛2,544

130.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.48 ៛1,936

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.72 ៛2,904

309.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.52 ៛6,115

196.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.08 ៛8,396

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.46 ៛5,871

26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.02 ៛4,093

53.92%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.83 ៛7,385

37.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.76 ៛51.4K

-35.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.20 ៛16.9K

100.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.44 ៛42.1K

2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.53 ៛10.2K

3.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.54 ៛6,227

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.29 ៛9,217

-14.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.51 ៛6,077

38.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.54 ៛6,204

20.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.25 ៛5,049

73.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.45 ៛5,829

-28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.48 ៛1,941

122.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.98 ៛7,987

107.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$11.18 ៛45.1K

-9.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.83 ៛3,359

102.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.02 ៛4,108

148.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.99 ៛3,989

226.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.02 ៛4,101

136.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.09 ៛16.5K

-21.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.16 ៛4,692

13.79%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$48.3K ៛194.8M

-38.56%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$37.4K ៛150.9M

-36.78%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$52.7 ៛212.6K

55.50%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$1.46 ៛5,897

1471.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$23.75 ៛95.7K

26.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$22.21 ៛89.5K

133.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.39 ៛17.7K

13.44%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$90.3 ៛364.2K

118.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,904 ៛15.7M

36.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$20.10 ៛81.0K

77.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$22.47 ៛90.6K

79.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$44.51 ៛179.4K

76.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$41.40 ៛166.9K

114.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$246 ៛991.3K

285.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$172 ៛695.0K

174.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$468 ៛1.9M

250.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$352 ៛1.4M

243.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$198 ៛798.2K

230.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Battambang: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $246 in Battambang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 230% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Battambang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $223 per month, with Battambang 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

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

Battambang wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Battambang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 230% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $246 in Battambang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $90.3 in Battambang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Battambang – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $640 in Battambang versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Battambang but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Battambang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Battambang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $640 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Battambang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Battambang 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 Battambang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.