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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $580 in Kampong Chhnang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $931 in Kampong Chhnang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,282 in Kampong Chhnang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 117% more expensive than in Kampong Chhnang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kampong Chhnang 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$4.90 ៛19.8K

139.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$30.35 ៛122.5K

38.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.83 ៛27.6K

53.88%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.65 ៛10.7K

35.47%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.99 ៛3,985

52.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.03 ៛4,168

-10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.47 ៛5,941

101.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.48 ៛10.0K

77.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.14 ៛8,653

-34.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.48 ៛5,988

27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.03 ៛4,140

51.46%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.84 ៛7,439

41.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$12.91 ៛52.1K

-35.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.06 ៛16.4K

105.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$10.18 ៛41.1K

6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.13 ៛4,565

139.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.58 ៛6,398

-4.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.90 ៛15.8K

-52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.48 ៛5,958

47.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.70 ៛6,853

9.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.23 ៛4,979

81.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.40 ៛5,634

-23.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.72 ៛2,897

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.01 ៛8,125

108.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.81 ៛43.7K

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.05 ៛4,244

58.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.64 ៛6,606

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.02 ៛4,123

201.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.98 ៛3,944

144.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.40 ៛17.7K

-28.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.12 ៛4,514

16.96%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$48.3K ៛195.2M

-38.35%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$36.8K ៛148.7M

-36.66%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$106 ៛429.4K

-23.57%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$6.17 ៛24.9K

265.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$23.83 ៛96.2K

26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.45 ៛18.0K

10.56%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$377 ៛1.5M

-46.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$11.4K ៛46.2M

-54.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$22.26 ៛89.9K

61.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$22.21 ៛89.7K

80.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$89.0 ៛359.4K

-10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$72.4 ៛292.5K

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kampong Chhnang: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Kampong Chhnang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $227 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 117% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $580 including rent). Kampong Chhnang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $870 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $377 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $580 in Kampong Chhnang versus $1,260 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 117% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.