Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hua Hin Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hua Hin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,064 in Hua Hin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,632 in Hua Hin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,199 in Hua Hin, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than Hua Hin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Hua Hin are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Hua Hin 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.12 ฿104

271.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$22.26 ฿743

111.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.61 ฿254

56.11%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.03 ฿67.8

96.06%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.76 ฿25.37

88.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.34 ฿11.50

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.07 ฿69.2

54.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.90 ฿96.8

134.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.43 ฿47.85

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.33 ฿44.46

65.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.26 ฿41.89

35.71%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.87 ฿62.3

46.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$12.38 ฿413

-22.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.43 ฿81.1

270.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$16.09 ฿537

-20.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.54 ฿118

-18.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.96 ฿32.06

56.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.50 ฿83.3

-14.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.67 ฿55.9

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.06 ฿68.9

-3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.07 ฿35.63

85.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.84 ฿27.98

46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.45 ฿14.98

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.45 ฿149

2.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.27 ฿476

-27.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.63 ฿54.4

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.45 ฿81.7

17.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.46 ฿15.50

30.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$60.0 ฿2,003

-52.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.46 ฿82.2

119.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.55 ฿51.8

140.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$8.99 ฿300

-35.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.38 ฿46.07

11.59%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$16.3K ฿543.3K

38.54%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$26.5K ฿883.8K

-1.58%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$84.0 ฿2,802

8.84%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.19 ฿307

174.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$23.06 ฿770

35.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$46.50 ฿1,552

44.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$24.17 ฿807

20.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.72 ฿224

-27.68%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$738 ฿24.6K

-69.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.8K ฿360.7K

-60.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$5.95 ฿199

691.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$35.54 ฿1,186

24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$72.0 ฿2,403

11.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$54.8 ฿1,829

69.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$578 ฿19.3K

83.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$392 ฿13.1K

-0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,409 ฿47.0K

52.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$809 ฿27.0K

57.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,845 ฿61.6K

116.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,481 ฿49.4K

338.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$463 ฿15.5K

63.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.3

81.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hua Hin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $578 in Hua Hin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 64% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Hua Hin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $238 – making Hua Hin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Hua Hin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% more than Hua Hin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,596 in Hua Hin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hua Hin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $1,064 in Hua Hin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 108% less in Hua Hin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hua Hin, where all-in costs run around $1,064, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Hua Hin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hua Hin costs $1,064 versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hua Hin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.