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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $614 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,002 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,390 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 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.69 ៛14.9K

224.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$40.15 ៛162.6K

18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.89 ៛27.9K

70.54%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.92 ៛11.8K

41.10%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.85 ៛7,502

-24.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.68 ៛2,759

33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.46 ៛5,909

119.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.98 ៛12.1K

137.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.20 ៛8,912

-23.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.66 ៛6,715

29.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.09 ៛4,432

62.39%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.76 ៛7,125

60.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$14.73 ៛59.6K

-37.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$4.29 ៛17.4K

115.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.34 ៛37.8K

35.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.06 ៛16.4K

-27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.78 ៛7,199

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$4.11 ៛16.6K

-45.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.16 ៛8,764

9.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.62 ៛6,567

22.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.21 ៛4,891

63.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.15 ៛4,664

7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.76 ៛3,080

59.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$1.92 ៛7,787

139.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.92 ៛44.2K

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.00 ៛4,055

69.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.80 ៛7,269

53.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.09 ៛4,411

380.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.98 ៛3,982

272.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.16 ៛20.9K

12.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.37 ៛5,548

12.41%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$34.8K ៛140.7M

-34.39%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$43.7K ៛177.1M

-40.98%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$111 ៛450.8K

-18.55%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$7.42 ៛30.0K

239.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$25.65 ៛103.9K

23.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$4.96 ៛20.1K

-2.02%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$670 ៛2.7M

-66.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$10.9K ៛44.1M

-61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$28.18 ៛114.1K

68.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$24.28 ៛98.3K

78.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$91.2 ៛369.2K

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$58.5 ៛237.0K

56.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 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 7, 2026

Last update for Kampong Thom: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Kampong Thom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $253 – 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $921 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $614 in Kampong Thom. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $670 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 $614, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.