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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $584 in Kampong Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $958 in Kampong Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,331 in Kampong Cham.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 115% more expensive than in Kampong Cham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kampong Cham 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.57 ៛10.4K

366.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$23.97 ៛96.6K

74.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.15 ៛32.8K

31.90%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.67 ៛6,734

109.58%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.68 ៛2,746

113.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.51 ៛2,072

72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.98 ៛3,943

201.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.85 ៛7,446

143.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.76 ៛7,077

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.38 ៛5,568

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.73 ៛2,929

115.07%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.62 ៛6,531

54.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$14.91 ៛60.1K

-44.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.55 ៛14.3K

137.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.03 ៛36.4K

18.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.06 ៛8,293

26.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.77 ៛3,101

87.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.01 ៛12.1K

-34.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.97 ៛3,924

115.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.28 ៛5,158

44.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.91 ៛3,665

138.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.30 ៛5,253

-20.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.58 ៛2,354

84.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.27 ៛5,100

222.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.59 ៛30.6K

33.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.57 ៛2,288

194.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.04 ៛8,241

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.77 ៛3,111

212.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.94 ៛19.9K

-34.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.08 ៛4,362

22.22%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.8K ៛140.2M

-14.63%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$39.9K ៛160.9M

-40.72%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$74.5 ៛300.3K

10.10%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.85 ៛23.6K

292.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$19.69 ៛79.4K

52.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$9.85 ៛39.7K

427.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.41 ៛25.8K

-22.31%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$396 ៛1.6M

-50.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$2,497 ៛10.1M

113.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$10.08 ៛40.6K

253.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$18.11 ៛73.0K

122.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$55.4 ៛223.3K

42.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$36.80 ៛148.3K

141.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$397 ៛1.6M

138.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$127 ៛511.7K

273.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$539 ៛2.2M

204.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$299 ៛1.2M

304.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-36.56%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kampong Cham: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $397 in Kampong Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Kampong Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $202 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 115% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $584 including rent). Kampong Cham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $876 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $397 in Kampong Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $584 in Kampong Cham – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $584 in Kampong Cham versus $1,256 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 115% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.