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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $879 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,412 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,944 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than in Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Chanthaburi 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$1.25 ฿41.80

837.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$31.05 ฿1,037

34.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.32 ฿211

66.30%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$1.56 ฿52.2

130.13%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$0.57 ฿18.87

164.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$0.27 ฿8.99

240.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.74 ฿58.1

70.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$3.94 ฿132

11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.51 ฿50.5

-7.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$1.33 ฿44.58

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$0.89 ฿29.65

75.28%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$2.20 ฿73.3

18.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$18.37 ฿614

-54.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.08 ฿103

171.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.10 ฿304

19.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$3.44 ฿115

-21.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.71 ฿57.0

-11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$2.28 ฿76.1

-17.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$1.93 ฿64.4

13.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$1.17 ฿38.98

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$1.47 ฿49.18

51.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$0.98 ฿32.89

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.52 ฿17.44

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$4.35 ฿145

-3.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$17.83 ฿596

-41.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.83 ฿61.3

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$3.31 ฿111

-21.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.96 ฿32.06

-43.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$31.09 ฿1,038

-15.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.06 ฿35.47

190.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$0.99 ฿33.14

142.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$6.04 ฿202

-48.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.19 ฿39.76

10.08%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$37.4K ฿1.2M

-20.26%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$25.1K ฿836.9K

-6.92%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$89.6 ฿2,994

-9.32%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$3.76 ฿126

500.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$10.66 ฿356

181.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$48.72 ฿1,627

8.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$12.38 ฿413

48.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$5.62 ฿188

-12.46%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$599 ฿20.0K

-66.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$13.4K ฿447.1K

-61.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$7.76 ฿259

362.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$36.76 ฿1,228

9.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$70.6 ฿2,356

12.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$21.54 ฿719

301.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$417 ฿13.9K

134.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$289 ฿9,669

62.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$818 ฿27.3K

101.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$657 ฿21.9K

83.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$1,777 ฿59.4K

122.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$1,758 ฿58.7K

275.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $417 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Chanthaburi. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $253, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Chanthaburi differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $879 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,319 in Chanthaburi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $417 in Chanthaburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $599 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $879 in Chanthaburi versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.