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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $969 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,640 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,312 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than in Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Chanthaburi 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$1.18 ฿39.18

883.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$36.09 ฿1,201

30.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.97 ฿232

70.44%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.49 ฿49.69

167.11%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.52 ฿17.39

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.29 ฿9.54

182.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.69 ฿56.2

88.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.63 ฿154

46.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.52 ฿50.6

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.52 ฿50.6

44.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$0.92 ฿30.70

85.87%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.08 ฿69.2

31.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$17.79 ฿592

-46.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.63 ฿121

148.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$14.49 ฿482

-11.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$4.07 ฿135

-28.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.77 ฿58.8

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.87 ฿95.5

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.98 ฿66.0

14.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.18 ฿39.37

67.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.56 ฿52.0

27.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.26 ฿41.99

-2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.58 ฿19.16

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$4.56 ฿152

-0.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.82 ฿493

-30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.73 ฿57.5

-6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$3.19 ฿106

-9.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.93 ฿30.80

-35.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$88.6 ฿2,949

-67.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.02 ฿33.91

428.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.08 ฿35.91

245.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$5.97 ฿199

-3.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.21 ฿40.17

27.27%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$31.0K ฿1.0M

-27.37%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$24.0K ฿800.4K

8.37%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$105 ฿3,485

-12.70%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$3.53 ฿117

613.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$10.74 ฿358

190.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$47.48 ฿1,581

41.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$14.45 ฿481

101.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.46 ฿182

-10.99%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$545 ฿18.1K

-58.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$17.1K ฿567.6K

-75.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$7.31 ฿244

544.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$35.97 ฿1,197

23.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$70.5 ฿2,346

13.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$21.21 ฿706

336.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$458 ฿15.3K

131.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$301 ฿10.0K

29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$1,219 ฿40.6K

76.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$852 ฿28.4K

49.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,149 ฿71.5K

86.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,394 ฿46.4K

366.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.38

112.83%

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 Chanthaburi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $458 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Chanthaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $273 per month, with Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Chanthaburi differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $969 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,454 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $458 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 208% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $545 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $969 in Chanthaburi versus $1,266 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 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.