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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $756 in Chon Buri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,289 in Chon Buri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,821 in Chon Buri.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 72% more expensive than Chon Buri, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Chon Buri 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.99 ฿64.9

489.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$18.81 ฿615

121.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.05 ฿198

75.87%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.89 ฿61.8

86.24%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.63 ฿20.62

139.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.48 ฿15.59

102.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.82 ฿59.4

62.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.67 ฿120

21.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.41 ฿46.19

-2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.42 ฿46.44

33.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.06 ฿34.81

54.72%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.92 ฿62.9

30.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.23 ฿433

-36.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.03 ฿66.2

310.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.70 ฿350

0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.43 ฿79.4

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.76 ฿24.75

92.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.80 ฿58.8

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.56 ฿50.9

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.61 ฿52.5

10.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.22 ฿39.80

79.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.81 ฿26.38

28.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.46 ฿14.96

134.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.73 ฿155

-13.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$14.85 ฿485

-30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.67 ฿54.6

2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$3.64 ฿119

-29.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.94 ฿30.67

-45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.06 ฿34.57

207.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.77 ฿25.01

223.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.53 ฿181

-41.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.35 ฿44.23

-2.96%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.9K ฿650.0K

52.28%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$21.1K ฿690.3K

10.96%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$73.1 ฿2,389

13.40%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$12.89 ฿421

72.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$18.54 ฿606

58.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$48.45 ฿1,584

6.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$12.29 ฿402

49.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$3.06 ฿100

65.69%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$141 ฿4,593

42.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$16.0K ฿522.2K

-67.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$19.51 ฿638

89.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$24.30 ฿794

63.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$61.5 ฿2,011

27.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$58.4 ฿1,908

49.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$529 ฿17.3K

83.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$217 ฿7,100

115.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$810 ฿26.5K

102.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$665 ฿21.7K

83.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$814 ฿26.6K

698.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$608 ฿19.9K

9.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.17

85.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $529 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 9% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Chon Buri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $215 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 72% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 9% 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: $973 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $141 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 $19.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Chon Buri versus $1,297 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 $756 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 72% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.