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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $917 in Khlong Luang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,493 in Khlong Luang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,068 in Khlong Luang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 39% more expensive than Khlong Luang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Khlong Luang 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.65 ฿119

225.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$31.15 ฿1,014

37.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.05 ฿295

17.68%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.18 ฿71.0

58.26%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.80 ฿26.10

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.37 ฿12.12

156.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.47 ฿80.6

22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.50 ฿81.5

84.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.73 ฿56.4

-20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.41 ฿45.93

31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.31 ฿42.63

22.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.28 ฿74.2

13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$15.81 ฿515

-47.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.36 ฿110

149.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.10 ฿362

-3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.32 ฿108

-20.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.33 ฿43.44

12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.90 ฿61.8

1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.39 ฿45.18

50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.46 ฿47.41

27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.17 ฿38.23

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.69 ฿55.2

-37.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.53 ฿17.10

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.66 ฿152

-10.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$16.64 ฿542

-37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.74 ฿56.8

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.39 ฿77.8

9.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.90 ฿29.42

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.42 ฿46.26

120.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.36 ฿44.24

84.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.43 ฿112

-8.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.28 ฿41.54

-0.78%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$25.8K ฿839.1K

17.89%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.1K ฿883.8K

-13.15%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$77.6 ฿2,529

6.92%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.61 ฿443

66.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.82 ฿613

56.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$49.45 ฿1,611

3.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$12.09 ฿394

51.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.59 ฿247

-35.05%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$287 ฿9,359

-31.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$9,160 ฿298.4K

-42.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$30.28 ฿986

21.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$20.08 ฿654

98.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$101 ฿3,287

-20.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$43.63 ฿1,421

105.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$430 ฿14.0K

122.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$287 ฿9,348

66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$810 ฿26.4K

103.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$659 ฿21.4K

85.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,978 ฿64.4K

98.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,477 ฿48.1K

337.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Khlong Luang: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $430 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $249 per month, with Khlong Luang cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,375 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $430 in Khlong Luang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $917 in Khlong Luang – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $917 in Khlong Luang versus $1,271 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 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.