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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $864 in Chaiyaphum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,465 in Chaiyaphum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,067 in Chaiyaphum.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 49% more expensive than Chaiyaphum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Chaiyaphum 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$1.25 ฿40.97

855.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$31.00 ฿1,014

37.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.13 ฿201

72.76%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.21 ฿39.45

199.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.47 ฿15.33

212.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.29 ฿9.58

224.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.51 ฿82.0

23.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.97 ฿130

12.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.87 ฿61.2

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.40 ฿45.91

34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.45 ฿47.46

12.41%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.55 ฿50.7

70.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$18.63 ฿609

-55.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.09 ฿101

168.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.21 ฿301

20.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.52 ฿115

-24.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.63 ฿20.64

138.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.31 ฿75.4

-13.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.83 ฿59.7

13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.58 ฿51.5

13.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.44 ฿47.07

51.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.02 ฿33.42

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.32 ฿10.48

225.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.44 ฿145

-10.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$17.19 ฿562

-40.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.86 ฿60.7

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.39 ฿111

-26.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.96 ฿31.48

-45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.06 ฿34.77

196.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.14 ฿37.41

110.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.02 ฿197

-48.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.13 ฿36.88

12.39%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$36.4K ฿1.2M

-15.21%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.4K ฿927.6K

-17.81%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$44.78 ฿1,464

83.14%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$11.71 ฿383

91.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$12.51 ฿409

137.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$49.90 ฿1,632

3.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$12.30 ฿402

51.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.79 ฿255

-36.20%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$595 ฿19.5K

-66.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$13.3K ฿436.3K

-60.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$58.8 ฿1,923

-38.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$38.62 ฿1,263

3.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$106 ฿3,455

-24.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$92.1 ฿3,012

-3.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$429 ฿14.0K

124.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$289 ฿9,443

60.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$814 ฿26.6K

96.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$649 ฿21.2K

86.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,125 ฿69.5K

85.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,514 ฿49.5K

325.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$465 ฿15.2K

54.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.84

95.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Chaiyaphum: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $429 in Chaiyaphum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 55% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Chaiyaphum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $249 per month, with Chaiyaphum 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 Chaiyaphum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaiyaphum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 55% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $429 in Chaiyaphum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $595 in Chaiyaphum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chaiyaphum – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $864 in Chaiyaphum versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chaiyaphum but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chaiyaphum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chaiyaphum 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, Playa del Carmen and Chaiyaphum 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 Chaiyaphum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.