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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $595 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $959 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,322 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 113% 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 5% lower, Kampong Thom 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$4.93 ៛19.7K

140.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$30.53 ៛122.4K

40.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$6.97 ៛27.9K

52.80%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.65 ៛10.6K

30.19%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$0.99 ៛3,977

51.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.98 ៛3,930

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.54 ៛6,168

96.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$2.44 ៛9,776

88.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$2.08 ៛8,339

-33.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.47 ៛5,886

25.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$0.98 ៛3,925

64.29%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$1.75 ៛6,994

48.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$12.65 ៛50.7K

-34.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$4.16 ៛16.7K

101.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$10.30 ៛41.3K

3.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$4.44 ៛17.8K

-40.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.53 ៛6,113

-2.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$3.91 ៛15.7K

-50.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$1.46 ៛5,835

43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$1.74 ៛6,991

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$1.21 ៛4,831

86.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$1.41 ៛5,651

-24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.67 ៛2,683

62.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$1.95 ៛7,815

112.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$11.53 ៛46.2K

-9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$1.00 ៛4,008

72.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$1.68 ៛6,724

55.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$1.07 ៛4,301

192.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$1.03 ៛4,125

143.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$4.57 ៛18.3K

-31.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$1.17 ៛4,693

8.55%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$48.5K ៛194.4M

-37.37%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$36.7K ៛147.2M

-35.84%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$106 ៛425.8K

-21.88%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$6.45 ៛25.8K

252.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$23.43 ៛93.9K

25.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$4.37 ៛17.5K

12.81%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$370 ៛1.5M

-46.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$11.6K ៛46.6M

-54.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$22.19 ៛88.9K

66.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$22.03 ៛88.3K

81.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$89.7 ៛359.7K

-10.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$72.4 ៛290.3K

23.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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 Thom: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Kampong Thom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 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 113%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $893 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $595 in Kampong Thom. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $370 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 $595, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.