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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $607 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $960 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,312 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 108% more than Kampong Thom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kampong Thom are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kampong Thom 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$203

$4.87 ៛19.4K

139.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$728

$29.52 ៛117.8K

41.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$181

$6.86 ៛27.4K

51.60%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.9

$2.54 ៛10.1K

42.13%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.00 ៛3,978

47.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.86

$0.99 ៛3,969

-8.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.48 ៛5,898

104.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.7

$2.46 ៛9,814

81.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$2.14 ៛8,529

-35.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.04

$1.47 ៛5,866

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.91

$0.97 ៛3,883

65.98%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.67

$1.75 ៛6,989

46.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$12.78 ៛51.0K

-33.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.00 ៛16.0K

112.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$191

$10.27 ៛41.0K

7.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.42

$4.40 ៛17.5K

-37.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.01

$1.53 ៛6,123

-1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$3.78 ៛15.1K

-48.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.83

$1.47 ៛5,874

44.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.41

$1.69 ៛6,734

10.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$1.20 ៛4,808

80.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$1.45 ៛5,779

-26.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.24

$0.68 ៛2,694

54.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$2.02 ៛8,078

107.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$179

$11.86 ៛47.3K

-13.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.97

$1.04 ៛4,155

60.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.27

$1.68 ៛6,690

48.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$54.0

$1.06 ៛4,244

192.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.81

$0.99 ៛3,948

148.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$4.44 ៛17.7K

-27.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.17 ៛4,682

7.69%

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

$30.2K MX$524.6K

$49.2K ៛196.5M

-38.74%

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

$23.4K MX$407.7K

$36.5K ៛145.7M

-35.80%

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

$84.0 MX$1,461

$106 ៛423.6K

-20.87%

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

$22.21 MX$386

$6.43 ៛25.7K

245.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$516

$23.32 ៛93.1K

27.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$86.0

$4.60 ៛18.4K

7.61%

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

$198 MX$3,449

$379 ៛1.5M

-47.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.5K

$11.3K ៛44.9M

-52.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$625

$22.51 ៛89.8K

59.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$22.46 ៛89.6K

78.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$89.0 ៛355.0K

-11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,504

$72.9 ៛291.0K

18.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$17.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,186

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$70.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Kampong Thom: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $0 in Kampong Thom. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $30 in Kampong Thom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $243 – making Kampong Thom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Thom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 108%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $910 in Kampong Thom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $607 in Kampong Thom. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $379 in Kampong Thom. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kampong Thom, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Kampong Thom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kampong Thom – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kampong Thom. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.