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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $736 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,330 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,923 in Hat Yai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 81% more expensive than in Hat Yai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Hat Yai 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$3.05 ฿100

326.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$45.98 ฿1,509

0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$3.80 ฿125

231.32%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.80 ฿91.8

42.86%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.33 ฿43.61

6.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.54 ฿17.74

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.77 ฿58.0

72.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$3.71 ฿122

83.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.48 ฿48.58

15.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.22 ฿40.06

81.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.32 ฿43.22

30.30%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.47 ฿81.2

9.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$22.86 ฿750

-59.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$2.41 ฿79.1

267.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$11.31 ฿371

13.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$2.62 ฿86.0

19.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.40 ฿45.88

10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.00 ฿65.6

7.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.72 ฿56.3

36.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.53 ฿50.3

32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.08 ฿35.44

84.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.54 ฿50.6

-19.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.40 ฿13.17

197.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$4.47 ฿147

4.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$15.34 ฿503

-31.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.75 ฿57.5

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$1.94 ฿63.8

50.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.59 ฿19.22

-5.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.18 ฿38.59

350.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.15 ฿37.70

223.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$4.01 ฿131

44.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.36 ฿44.68

13.97%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$18.6K ฿611.0K

20.13%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$45.8K ฿1.5M

-44.11%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$85.9 ฿2,819

3.92%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$12.52 ฿411

86.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$9.93 ฿326

219.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$47.73 ฿1,566

44.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$14.31 ฿470

105.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.60 ฿249

-33.42%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$575 ฿18.9K

-61.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$11.3K ฿369.3K

-61.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$38.50 ฿1,263

20.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$27.17 ฿892

63.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$71.3 ฿2,339

33.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$99.8 ฿3,274

-7.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$270 ฿8,868

295.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$113 ฿3,717

247.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$732 ฿24.0K

171.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$400 ฿13.1K

225.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,002 ฿65.7K

101.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,592 ฿52.2K

316.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$466 ฿15.3K

60.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

6.36

82.39%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $270 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 60% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Hat Yai. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $256, with Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 81% 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.

Average pay runs 60% 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 $270 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $575 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 $46.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $736 in Hat Yai versus $1,330 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 $736 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 81% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.