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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $646 in Battambang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,001 in Battambang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,356 in Battambang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 101% more expensive than Battambang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Battambang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.45 ៛9,848

378.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$17.89 ៛71.9K

132.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.63 ៛22.6K

88.99%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.52 ៛6,126

131.58%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.63 ៛2,542

139.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.52 ៛2,097

86.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.78 ៛3,131

278.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.48 ៛5,944

200.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.07 ៛8,327

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.51 ៛6,087

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.02 ៛4,090

60.78%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.74 ៛7,014

44.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.75 ៛51.3K

-34.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.12 ៛16.6K

102.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.15 ៛40.8K

5.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.55 ៛10.2K

1.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.61 ៛6,478

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.37 ៛9,525

-19.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.46 ៛5,855

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.52 ៛6,117

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.19 ៛4,795

84.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.43 ៛5,755

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.51 ៛2,054

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.97 ៛7,935

107.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$12.13 ៛48.8K

-14.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.81 ៛3,253

111.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$0.99 ៛3,963

160.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.97 ៛3,913

236.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.02 ៛4,115

144.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$4.04 ៛16.2K

-19.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.12 ៛4,514

16.96%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$49.1K ៛197.6M

-38.38%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$36.4K ៛146.4M

-35.65%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$53.1 ៛213.4K

56.18%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$1.53 ៛6,163

1352.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$23.23 ៛93.4K

26.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$22.41 ៛90.1K

130.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.37 ៛17.6K

16.02%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$90.0 ៛361.8K

123.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,977 ៛16.0M

31.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$19.77 ៛79.5K

86.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$22.24 ៛89.4K

78.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$44.13 ៛177.4K

77.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$42.11 ៛169.3K

106.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$252 ៛1.0M

285.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$174 ៛700.0K

168.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$472 ៛1.9M

247.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$354 ៛1.4M

244.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$203 ៛815.3K

227.44%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Battambang: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $252 in Battambang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 227% 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 $224 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 101% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 227% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $252 in Battambang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $90.0 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 $646 in Battambang versus $1,297 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 $646 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 101% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.