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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $665 in Battambang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,046 in Battambang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,426 in Battambang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 90% more expensive than in Battambang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Battambang 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.52 ៛10.2K

360.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$18.10 ៛73.3K

160.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.52 ៛26.4K

82.21%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.35 ៛5,470

194.81%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.67 ៛2,722

113.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.49 ៛1,967

67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$0.90 ៛3,653

254.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.27 ៛9,172

199.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.19 ៛8,875

-23.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.98 ៛3,979

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.99 ៛4,003

72.73%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.75 ៛7,069

56.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$15.01 ៛60.8K

-36.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.31 ៛9,367

290.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.31 ៛37.7K

37.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.86 ៛15.6K

-25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.27 ៛5,157

18.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$4.10 ៛16.6K

-47.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.19 ៛8,845

3.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.55 ៛6,291

27.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.10 ៛4,450

80.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.79 ៛3,185

55.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.74 ៛2,991

62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.86 ៛7,543

144.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$11.03 ៛44.7K

-5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.60 ៛2,441

170.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.02 ៛4,138

182.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.90 ៛3,654

498.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.87 ៛3,510

328.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.89 ៛19.8K

18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.26 ៛5,084

22.22%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$35.1K ៛142.2M

-35.79%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$34.4K ៛139.2M

-24.20%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$65.2 ៛263.8K

40.20%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$2.69 ៛10.9K

836.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$25.33 ៛102.5K

23.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$22.24 ៛90.0K

202.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.91 ៛19.9K

-1.02%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$89.2 ៛361.1K

150.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,893 ៛15.8M

8.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$19.60 ៛79.4K

140.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$23.85 ៛96.5K

85.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$92.3 ៛373.4K

-13.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$44.21 ៛179.0K

109.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$229 ៛928.7K

363.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$149 ៛601.4K

162.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$423 ៛1.7M

407.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$326 ៛1.3M

289.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$201 ៛814.3K

276.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.25

57.93%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Battambang: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $229 in Battambang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 277% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Battambang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $228 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 90% 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 277% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $229 in Battambang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $89.2 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $665 in Battambang versus $1,266 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 $665 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 90% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.