Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kampong Chhnang

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampong Chhnang: $614 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Kampong Chhnang
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Kampong Chhnang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Kampong Chhnang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $614 in Kampong Chhnang.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Kampong Chhnang $614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $990 in Kampong Chhnang.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Kampong Chhnang $990

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,366 in Kampong Chhnang.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Kampong Chhnang $1,366

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 96% more expensive than in Kampong Chhnang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Kampong Chhnang 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$4.46 ៛18.2K
144.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$814
$39.48 ៛160.9K
9.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$6.93 ៛28.2K
69.99%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.5
$2.95 ៛12.0K
29.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.07
$1.78 ៛7,243
-28.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.70
$0.61 ៛2,479
27.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$1.03 ៛4,183
207.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$2.98 ៛12.1K
65.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.40
$2.18 ៛8,882
-35.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.62
$1.60 ៛6,519
38.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.61
$1.07 ៛4,377
32.71%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.36
$1.81 ៛7,393
39.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$14.30 ៛58.3K
-49.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$4.39 ៛17.9K
75.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$9.79 ៛39.9K
29.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$1.04 ៛4,234
167.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.68
$1.63 ៛6,645
-15.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.89
$4.72 ៛19.2K
-45.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.86
$1.94 ៛7,895
9.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.39
$1.78 ៛7,262
8.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.41
$1.26 ៛5,148
50.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.53
$1.34 ៛5,479
-14.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.13
$0.71 ៛2,910
66.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.6
$1.92 ៛7,842
123.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$11.22 ៛45.7K
-11.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.73
$1.03 ៛4,204
53.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$1.71 ៛6,984
56.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.39
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.3
$1.09 ៛4,448
355.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.5
$1.03 ៛4,184
223.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$4.94 ៛20.2K
8.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.11
$1.36 ៛5,537
5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.0K
$34.7K ៛141.6M
-40.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.5K
$43.5K ៛177.2M
-46.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,592
$122 ៛498.8K
-30.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$7.64 ៛31.1K
206.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$538
$25.26 ៛102.9K
13.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,071
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.5
$4.89 ៛19.9K
5.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,878
$604 ៛2.5M
-65.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.7K
$10.9K ៛44.5M
-64.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$814
$27.44 ៛111.8K
57.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$778
$23.53 ៛95.9K
76.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,393
$90.1 ៛367.3K
-17.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,676
$58.5 ៛238.6K
52.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,150
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Kampong Chhnang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
7.94
44.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kampong Chhnang: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Kampong Chhnang
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Kampong Chhnang
$240 5.8% $15
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Kampong Chhnang
$113 44.4% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Kampong Chhnang
$155 13.5% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Kampong Chhnang
$90 19.6% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Kampong Chhnang
$9.8 * 85.5% $58
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Kampong Chhnang
$6.2 * 87.7% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $39 in Kampong Chhnang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $240 per month, with Kampong Chhnang cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇰🇭 Kampong Chhnang
🕒 Local time
05:16 5:16 AM
17:16 5:16 PM
12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
41,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4,075 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,550 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Kampong Chhnang 16,140 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Kampong Chhnang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chhnang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Kampong Chhnang?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $614 in Kampong Chhnang, so Kampong Chhnang is about 49% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Kampong Chhnang?
You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $920 in Kampong Chhnang 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Kampong Chhnang?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $604 in Kampong Chhnang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Kampong Chhnang – a meal for two runs $39 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $614 in Kampong Chhnang versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kampong Chhnang but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kampong Chhnang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Kampong Chhnang?
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.

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