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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $585 in Kampong Chhnang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $962 in Kampong Chhnang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,338 in Kampong Chhnang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 116% more expensive than in Kampong Chhnang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kampong Chhnang 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.90 ៛15.8K

197.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$39.73 ៛160.8K

18.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.83 ៛27.6K

73.94%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.91 ៛11.8K

36.77%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.84 ៛7,458

-22.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.66 ៛2,672

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.28 ៛5,173

149.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.94 ៛11.9K

130.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.14 ៛8,659

-21.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.60 ៛6,480

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.05 ៛4,243

62.86%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.76 ៛7,138

55.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$15.10 ៛61.1K

-36.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.23 ៛17.1K

113.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.04 ៛36.6K

41.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.03 ៛4,187

180.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.70 ៛6,882

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$4.28 ៛17.3K

-49.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.19 ៛8,857

3.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.57 ៛6,360

26.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.22 ៛4,923

63.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.20 ៛4,850

2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.78 ៛3,158

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$1.83 ៛7,425

148.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$11.11 ៛45.0K

-6.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.94 ៛3,813

72.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.75 ៛7,092

64.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.13 ៛4,573

376.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.03 ៛4,168

262.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$5.11 ៛20.7K

12.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.33 ៛5,375

15.79%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$35.7K ៛144.5M

-36.83%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$44.1K ៛178.5M

-40.90%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$107 ៛432.1K

-14.39%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$7.22 ៛29.2K

249.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$24.76 ៛100.2K

26.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.12 ៛20.7K

-5.08%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$658 ៛2.7M

-65.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.8K ៛43.6M

-60.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$28.25 ៛114.3K

66.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$24.23 ៛98.1K

82.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$91.1 ៛368.7K

-12.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$58.8 ៛237.9K

57.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.07

41.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kampong Chhnang: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Kampong Chhnang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $237 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 116% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $585 including rent). Kampong Chhnang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $877 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 $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $658 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 $40.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $585 in Kampong Chhnang versus $1,266 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 116% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.