Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Khlong Luang Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Khlong Luang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $931 in Khlong Luang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,486 in Khlong Luang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,041 in Khlong Luang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than Khlong Luang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Khlong Luang 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.61 ฿118

230.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$30.52 ฿998

40.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$9.39 ฿307

12.78%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.09 ฿68.2

73.21%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.80 ฿26.27

83.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.35 ฿11.44

168.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.50 ฿81.6

23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.51 ฿82.0

77.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.76 ฿57.5

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.40 ฿45.87

34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.26 ฿41.29

29.37%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.37 ฿77.6

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$15.48 ฿506

-46.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.41 ฿112

143.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$11.41 ฿373

-2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.37 ฿110

-21.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.33 ฿43.54

12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.91 ฿62.4

4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.46 ฿47.76

42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.48 ฿48.31

20.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.22 ฿39.84

78.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.63 ฿53.2

-33.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.53 ฿17.42

96.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.51 ฿148

-11.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$18.27 ฿597

-44.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.81 ฿59.2

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.29 ฿74.8

9.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.95 ฿31.12

-45.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.42 ฿46.50

121.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.30 ฿42.44

84.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.47 ฿113

-10.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.33 ฿43.38

-4.51%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$26.6K ฿871.1K

15.92%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$26.7K ฿874.2K

-12.79%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$79.8 ฿2,609

2.77%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$13.95 ฿456

60.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.77 ฿614

58.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$48.76 ฿1,595

6.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$12.39 ฿405

50.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.54 ฿247

-34.08%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$298 ฿9,729

-33.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$9,374 ฿306.5K

-43.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$30.16 ฿986

20.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$20.02 ฿655

100.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$101 ฿3,307

-21.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$44.47 ฿1,454

99.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$417 ฿13.6K

130.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$286 ฿9,338

62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$808 ฿26.4K

97.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$647 ฿21.2K

86.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,458 ฿80.4K

60.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,640 ฿53.6K

293.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.45

109.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Khlong Luang: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $417 in Khlong Luang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Khlong Luang. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $254, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Khlong Luang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khlong Luang is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,396 in Khlong Luang 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $417 in Khlong Luang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $931 in Khlong Luang – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $931 in Khlong Luang versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khlong Luang but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Khlong Luang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Khlong Luang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Khlong Luang 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 Khlong Luang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.