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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $753 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,336 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,918 in Hat Yai.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 71% more expensive than Hat Yai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Hat Yai 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.15 ฿103

279.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$46.81 ฿1,531

-8.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.35 ฿142

143.45%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.68 ฿87.6

35.07%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.16 ฿37.77

26.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.44 ฿14.49

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.82 ฿59.4

69.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.78 ฿124

17.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.50 ฿49.20

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.28 ฿41.75

46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.33 ฿43.58

22.56%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.46 ฿80.6

7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$22.82 ฿746

-64.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.36 ฿77.2

251.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.78 ฿385

-5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.66 ฿87.0

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.42 ฿46.57

5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.96 ฿64.0

1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.55 ฿50.6

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.53 ฿50.1

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.07 ฿34.89

103.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.50 ฿49.04

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.36 ฿11.77

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.57 ฿149

-13.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$15.32 ฿501

-33.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.80 ฿58.8

-3.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.97 ฿64.4

26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.63 ฿20.75

-17.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.06 ฿34.61

196.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.16 ฿37.82

106.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.07 ฿198

-49.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.30 ฿42.59

-2.31%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$19.5K ฿637.1K

58.51%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$46.3K ฿1.5M

-49.61%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$87.3 ฿2,854

-6.05%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$13.48 ฿441

66.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$9.85 ฿322

201.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$49.18 ฿1,608

5.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$11.99 ฿392

55.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.33 ฿240

-32.20%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$294 ฿9,618

-32.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$9,758 ฿319.1K

-45.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$39.00 ฿1,275

-6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$27.31 ฿893

46.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$71.4 ฿2,334

11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$71.4 ฿2,336

24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$277 ฿9,064

247.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$115 ฿3,750

305.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$753 ฿24.6K

112.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$404 ฿13.2K

199.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,198 ฿71.9K

79.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,351 ฿44.2K

377.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$473 ฿15.5K

52.43%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $277 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 52% 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 $251 vs $257 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 71% 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 52% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $277 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $294 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 $753 in Hat Yai versus $1,287 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 $753 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 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.