Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hat Yai Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hat Yai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $747 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,339 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,930 in Hat Yai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 70% more expensive than Hat Yai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Hat Yai 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.03 ฿98.5

291.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$46.90 ฿1,527

-8.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.22 ฿137

152.37%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.80 ฿91.1

23.21%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.16 ฿37.70

29.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.44 ฿14.46

115.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.87 ฿60.9

62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.65 ฿119

26.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.53 ฿49.78

-9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.29 ฿42.15

43.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.29 ฿42.01

24.81%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.55 ฿83.1

1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$22.59 ฿736

-63.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.32 ฿75.5

260.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.32 ฿369

-5.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.60 ฿84.5

1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.50 ฿48.76

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.04 ฿66.6

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.58 ฿51.4

32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.48 ฿48.22

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.07 ฿34.69

111.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.01 ฿33.01

4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.38 ฿12.46

186.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.57 ฿149

-9.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$15.17 ฿494

-31.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.83 ฿59.7

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.97 ฿64.2

32.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.59 ฿19.30

-8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.07 ฿34.73

192.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.20 ฿38.93

109.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.19 ฿202

-49.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.31 ฿42.77

-3.05%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.5K ฿633.6K

56.12%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$46.7K ฿1.5M

-49.59%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$87.8 ฿2,860

-5.50%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.53 ฿441

67.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$10.04 ฿327

193.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$48.52 ฿1,580

5.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$12.16 ฿396

50.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.34 ฿239

-32.83%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$298 ฿9,697

-33.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$9,475 ฿308.6K

-44.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$38.13 ฿1,242

-3.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$28.01 ฿912

42.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$72.6 ฿2,365

10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$70.3 ฿2,291

27.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$272 ฿8,849

251.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$111 ฿3,614

329.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$762 ฿24.8K

115.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$406 ฿13.2K

201.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,004 ฿65.3K

95.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,494 ฿48.7K

332.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$474 ฿15.5K

40.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.36

79.56%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $272 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 41% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $47.00 in Hat Yai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $254 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 41% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $272 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $298 in Hat Yai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $747 in Hat Yai versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hat Yai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $747 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hat Yai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.