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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $575 in Kampong Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $936 in Kampong Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,297 in Kampong Cham.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 126% more expensive than Kampong Cham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kampong Cham 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.54 ៛10.2K

361.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$23.68 ៛95.2K

75.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.88 ៛31.7K

35.03%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.59 ៛6,398

121.38%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.70 ៛2,798

115.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.47 ៛1,880

106.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.01 ៛4,080

192.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.92 ៛7,702

131.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.72 ៛6,934

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.44 ៛5,791

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.72 ៛2,894

127.78%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.58 ៛6,339

58.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$14.75 ៛59.3K

-43.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.49 ៛14.0K

138.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.19 ៛37.0K

16.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.98 ៛7,970

31.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.73 ៛2,946

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.98 ៛12.0K

-36.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.97 ៛3,919

114.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.28 ៛5,153

39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.95 ៛3,825

130.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.29 ៛5,188

-19.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.61 ៛2,455

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.22 ៛4,903

234.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.55 ៛30.3K

36.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.53 ៛2,126

222.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.03 ៛8,172

27.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.77 ៛3,090

223.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$4.86 ៛19.5K

-33.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.11 ៛4,482

18.02%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.4K ៛138.2M

-11.91%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$39.9K ៛160.4M

-41.27%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$72.7 ៛292.5K

13.93%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$5.84 ៛23.5K

280.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$19.35 ៛77.8K

51.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$9.98 ៛40.1K

417.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.31 ៛25.4K

-19.65%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$402 ៛1.6M

-50.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,514 ៛10.1M

107.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$10.10 ៛40.6K

265.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$18.60 ៛74.8K

113.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$54.5 ៛219.3K

43.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$35.62 ៛143.2K

144.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$392 ៛1.6M

147.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$125 ៛503.9K

273.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$552 ៛2.2M

197.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$294 ៛1.2M

315.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kampong Cham: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $392 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 $201 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 126% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $575 including rent). Kampong Cham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $862 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $392 in Kampong Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $575 in Kampong Cham – a 126% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $575 in Kampong Cham versus $1,297 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 126% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.