Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Khon Kaen

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $608 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Khon Kaen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Khon Kaen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $608 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Khon Kaen $608

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,024 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Khon Kaen $1,024

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,440 in Khon Kaen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Khon Kaen $1,440

Playa del Carmen costs about 98% more than Khon Kaen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Khon Kaen are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Khon Kaen 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.04 ฿102

259.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$29.92 ฿1,009

44.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.93 ฿200

98.65%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$1.46 ฿49.33

160.96%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$0.59 ฿19.80

116.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$0.29 ฿9.81

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$1.72 ฿58.0

84.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$6.73 ฿227

-26.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$0.86 ฿29.13

65.12%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$2.47 ฿83.4

2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$0.87 ฿29.31

57.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$1.50 ฿50.6

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$1.50 ฿50.6

26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$0.62 ฿20.83

85.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.52 ฿17.69

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$1.65 ฿55.5

-4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$1.20 ฿40.54

177.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.32 ฿44.64

9.09%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$44.6K ฿1.5M

-53.64%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$26.5K ฿895.2K

-11.58%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$94.7 ฿3,193

-10.43%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$17.99 ฿607

30.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$29.73 ฿1,003

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$59.5 ฿2,007

-4.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$5.85 ฿197

-12.14%

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

$207 MX$3,871

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$8,970 ฿302.6K

-56.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$30.04 ฿1,013

44.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$34.83 ฿1,175

18.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$73.8 ฿2,488

0.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$90.5 ฿3,053

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$280 ฿9,439

250.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$156 ฿5,261

144.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$730 ฿24.6K

133.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$480 ฿16.2K

123.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Khon Kaen

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Khon Kaen

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Khon Kaen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Khon Kaen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Khon Kaen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Khon Kaen

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Khon Kaen

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Khon Kaen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $30 in Khon Kaen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $45 – making Khon Kaen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

21:39 9:39 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

114,459

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Khon Kaen 15,750 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Khon Kaen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Khon Kaen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $913 in Khon Kaen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Khon Kaen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $280 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 472% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $30 in Khon Kaen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Khon Kaen, where all-in costs run around $608, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Khon Kaen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $608 in Khon Kaen to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.