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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $594 in Kampong Chhnang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $929 in Kampong Chhnang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,265 in Kampong Chhnang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 114% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$5.02 ៛20.1K

136.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$29.95 ៛120.2K

43.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.16 ៛28.7K

48.74%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.51 ៛10.1K

37.45%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.02 ៛4,106

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.02 ៛4,110

-6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.48 ៛5,959

104.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.53 ៛10.2K

82.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.16 ៛8,675

-36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.48 ៛5,953

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.01 ៛4,058

59.41%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.78 ៛7,137

45.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.71 ៛51.0K

-35.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.04 ៛16.2K

107.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.20 ៛40.9K

4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.14 ៛4,571

130.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.59 ៛6,383

-6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.96 ៛15.9K

-51.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.52 ៛6,100

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.75 ៛7,005

6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.20 ៛4,830

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.41 ៛5,651

-24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.72 ៛2,871

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.03 ៛8,146

104.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.69 ៛46.9K

-11.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.02 ៛4,078

68.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.61 ៛6,470

62.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.02 ៛4,107

206.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.99 ៛3,960

153.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.56 ៛18.3K

-30.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.17 ៛4,713

8.55%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$49.7K ៛199.3M

-38.85%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$36.6K ៛146.9M

-35.63%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$108 ៛431.7K

-22.83%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$6.20 ៛24.9K

266.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$22.92 ៛92.0K

28.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.40 ៛17.7K

12.05%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$371 ៛1.5M

-46.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$11.5K ៛46.0M

-53.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$21.85 ៛87.7K

68.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$22.55 ៛90.5K

76.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$91.2 ៛365.9K

-12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$73.3 ៛294.3K

22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kampong Chhnang: June 6, 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 $250 vs $229 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 114% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $594 including rent). Kampong Chhnang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $891 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 $197 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 $594 in Kampong Chhnang versus $1,271 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 114% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.