Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kampong Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kampong Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $526 in Kampong Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $825 in Kampong Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,124 in Kampong Cham.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 141% more expensive than in Kampong Cham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kampong Cham 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.47 ៛9,982

369.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$19.87 ៛80.4K

137.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.10 ៛32.8K

46.67%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.48 ៛5,980

168.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.48 ៛1,936

197.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.43 ៛1,724

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$0.52 ៛2,085

513.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.48 ៛5,981

358.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.13 ៛8,610

-21.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.75 ៛7,087

25.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.05 ៛4,232

62.86%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.65 ៛6,664

66.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$14.03 ៛56.8K

-31.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.75 ៛11.1K

227.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.86 ៛39.9K

29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$4.30 ៛17.4K

-32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.28 ៛5,179

17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.79 ៛15.3K

-43.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.04 ៛4,217

117.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.33 ៛5,373

48.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.07 ៛4,328

85.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.34 ៛5,434

-8.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.77 ៛3,129

55.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.53 ៛6,198

197.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.56 ៛30.6K

37.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.98 ៛3,987

65.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.30 ៛9,298

25.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.98 ៛8,020

172.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.02 ៛4,138

265.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.92 ៛19.9K

17.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.28 ៛5,193

20.31%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$24.9K ៛100.8M

-9.48%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$22.3K ៛90.4M

16.68%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$106 ៛429.4K

-13.85%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$5.78 ៛23.4K

335.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$14.72 ៛59.6K

112.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$9.89 ៛40.0K

579.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.97 ៛20.1K

-2.21%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$280 ៛1.1M

-20.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$4,439 ៛18.0M

-4.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$26.31 ៛106.5K

79.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$13.25 ៛53.7K

234.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$69.1 ៛279.7K

15.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$44.38 ៛179.6K

108.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.2

24.46%

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 Kampong Cham: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Kampong Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $230 per month, with Kampong Cham 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 Kampong Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kampong Cham differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $526 including rent). Kampong Cham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $788 in Kampong Cham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $526 in Kampong Cham – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $526 in Kampong Cham versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kampong Cham but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kampong Cham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kampong Cham 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 Kampong Cham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.