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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $575 in Kampong Chhnang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $926 in Kampong Chhnang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,277 in Kampong Chhnang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 124% more expensive than Kampong Chhnang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kampong Chhnang 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$5.08 ៛20.5K

135.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$30.20 ៛121.7K

41.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.06 ៛28.4K

50.00%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.53 ៛10.2K

43.08%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.99 ៛3,998

48.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.02 ៛4,129

-7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.49 ៛5,996

107.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.54 ៛10.2K

75.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$2.16 ៛8,690

-33.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.53 ៛6,160

22.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.01 ៛4,054

61.39%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.76 ៛7,101

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$12.91 ៛52.0K

-36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.10 ៛16.5K

102.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$10.20 ៛41.1K

8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.15 ៛4,621

130.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.53 ៛6,170

-1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$3.89 ៛15.7K

-48.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.53 ៛6,156

35.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.68 ៛6,759

6.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.24 ៛4,982

75.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.46 ៛5,874

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.68 ៛2,734

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$1.95 ៛7,863

103.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.91 ៛48.0K

-14.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.06 ៛4,258

63.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.64 ៛6,608

52.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.08 ៛4,342

190.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.03 ៛4,138

133.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$4.61 ៛18.6K

-32.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.14 ៛4,585

11.40%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$49.6K ៛200.0M

-37.76%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$36.4K ៛146.8M

-36.00%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$104 ៛418.8K

-21.08%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$6.17 ៛24.9K

263.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$23.14 ៛93.3K

28.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$4.56 ៛18.4K

8.99%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$371 ៛1.5M

-46.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$11.6K ៛46.7M

-54.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$21.74 ៛87.6K

67.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$22.57 ៛91.0K

77.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$89.3 ៛359.7K

-10.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$72.2 ៛291.0K

23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.3

10.87%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kampong Chhnang: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Kampong Chhnang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $230 per month, with Kampong Chhnang 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 Chhnang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kampong Chhnang differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $575 including rent). Kampong Chhnang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $863 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.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $371 in Kampong Chhnang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampong Chhnang – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $575 in Kampong Chhnang versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 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.

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 Chhnang 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 Chhnang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.