Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Chon Buri Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Chon Buri

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $824 in Chon Buri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,380 in Chon Buri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,936 in Chon Buri.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 57% more expensive than in Chon Buri, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Chon Buri 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$2.04 ฿66.9

474.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$16.80 ฿552

177.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.49 ฿246

55.54%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.87 ฿61.4

118.72%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.71 ฿23.18

92.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.36 ฿11.68

130.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.80 ฿59.1

86.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.81 ฿92.5

145.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.52 ฿50.1

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$1.34 ฿43.96

68.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$1.32 ฿43.32

34.09%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.98 ฿65.1

37.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$12.99 ฿427

-29.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.53 ฿83.2

252.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$10.38 ฿341

21.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.52 ฿116

-14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.02 ฿33.44

53.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$2.43 ฿80.0

-12.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$1.62 ฿53.2

39.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$2.02 ฿66.3

-0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.10 ฿36.28

87.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.85 ฿27.86

38.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.46 ฿14.98

160.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$4.66 ฿153

-0.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$14.26 ฿469

-25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.71 ฿56.1

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.59 ฿85.1

11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.94 ฿30.78

-39.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.25 ฿40.98

336.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.62 ฿53.2

128.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$3.97 ฿131

50.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.29 ฿42.52

20.16%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$25.0K ฿821.3K

-10.64%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$22.7K ฿746.1K

14.33%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$85.1 ฿2,796

4.77%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$9.41 ฿309

166.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$22.56 ฿742

39.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$47.97 ฿1,577

41.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$14.16 ฿466

104.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$6.82 ฿224

-25.95%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$724 ฿23.8K

-68.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$11.1K ฿364.4K

-61.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$6.09 ฿200

678.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$30.37 ฿998

48.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$74.1 ฿2,437

10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$54.7 ฿1,796

68.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$529 ฿17.4K

102.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$262 ฿8,624

54.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,230 ฿40.4K

57.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$709 ฿23.3K

83.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,011 ฿66.1K

98.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,609 ฿52.9K

311.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$608 ฿20.0K

23.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

281.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $529 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 23% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $17.00 in Chon Buri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $225 per month, with Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chon Buri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $529 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $724 in Chon Buri. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chon Buri – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $824 in Chon Buri versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chon Buri but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chon Buri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chon Buri delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $824 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chon Buri hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.