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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $883 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,411 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,938 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 46% more expensive than Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Chanthaburi 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$1.21 ฿39.65

886.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$31.25 ฿1,022

36.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.30 ฿206

68.10%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.50 ฿49.14

141.33%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.57 ฿18.57

157.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.29 ฿9.60

224.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.77 ฿58.0

74.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.98 ฿130

12.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.58 ฿51.7

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.35 ฿44.05

39.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.93 ฿30.47

75.27%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.15 ฿70.4

22.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$18.28 ฿598

-55.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.01 ฿98.3

175.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.23 ฿302

20.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.42 ฿112

-22.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.79 ฿58.7

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.21 ฿72.3

-9.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.86 ฿60.8

11.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.22 ฿39.93

46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.45 ฿47.35

50.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.02 ฿33.43

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.52 ฿17.10

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.33 ฿142

-8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$16.96 ฿555

-39.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.74 ฿56.8

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.34 ฿109

-25.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.90 ฿29.36

-42.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$31.04 ฿1,015

-13.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.11 ฿36.32

182.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.99 ฿32.40

142.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.25 ฿204

-50.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.23 ฿40.27

3.25%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$37.7K ฿1.2M

-18.05%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$24.1K ฿789.7K

-3.45%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$87.8 ฿2,872

-6.63%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$3.79 ฿124

492.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$10.69 ฿350

177.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$49.71 ฿1,626

4.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$12.04 ฿394

55.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.48 ฿179

-9.31%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$598 ฿19.6K

-66.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$13.1K ฿426.7K

-59.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$7.62 ฿249

376.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$37.09 ฿1,213

7.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$69.8 ฿2,282

14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$21.98 ฿719

304.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$422 ฿13.8K

128.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$284 ฿9,273

63.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$813 ฿26.6K

96.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$662 ฿21.6K

82.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,137 ฿69.9K

84.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,529 ฿50.0K

321.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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 Chanthaburi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $422 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Chanthaburi. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $251, 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $883 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,324 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $422 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 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $598 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $883 in Chanthaburi versus $1,287 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 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.