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 $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $591 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $950 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,309 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 6% lower, Kampong Thom 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$4.89 ៛19.7K

144.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$733

$29.63 ៛119.6K

41.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$6.96 ៛28.1K

49.71%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.4

$2.53 ៛10.2K

38.74%

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

$1.52 MX$26.50

$1.02 ៛4,126

49.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.91

$1.00 ៛4,030

-9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$1.47 ៛5,937

106.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.4

$2.51 ៛10.1K

74.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.84

$2.18 ៛8,809

-34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.00

$1.52 ៛6,145

20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.57

$0.96 ៛3,890

69.79%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.38

$1.74 ៛7,020

45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$12.63 ៛51.0K

-32.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.19 ៛16.9K

102.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$10.38 ៛41.9K

4.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.14

$4.57 ៛18.4K

-39.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.10

$1.61 ៛6,498

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.97

$3.81 ៛15.4K

-50.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.93

$1.51 ៛6,101

43.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.10

$1.70 ៛6,875

4.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.87

$1.20 ៛4,845

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.68

$1.44 ៛5,801

-25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.87

$0.70 ៛2,839

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$1.99 ៛8,019

108.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$11.17 ៛45.1K

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.47

$1.05 ៛4,247

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$1.69 ៛6,802

52.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.1

$1.03 ៛4,159

211.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.73

$1.03 ៛4,151

142.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$4.56 ៛18.4K

-30.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.96

$1.13 ៛4,578

11.50%

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

$29.7K MX$518.8K

$49.8K ៛200.9M

-40.35%

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

$23.7K MX$413.9K

$36.6K ៛147.5M

-35.21%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$105 ៛424.5K

-22.01%

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

$22.73 MX$397

$6.44 ៛26.0K

252.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$514

$23.07 ៛93.1K

27.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$912

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.2

$4.57 ៛18.4K

7.88%

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

$202 MX$3,526

$370 ៛1.5M

-45.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.2K

$11.3K ៛45.6M

-53.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$628

$21.86 ៛88.2K

64.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$22.61 ៛91.3K

78.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,396

$91.5 ៛369.3K

-12.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,561

$74.5 ៛300.8K

19.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,132

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Kampong Thom: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Kampong Thom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $246 – 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $887 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 $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $591 in Kampong Thom. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 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 $591, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. 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.