Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koh Chang Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koh Chang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $970 in Koh Chang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,577 in Koh Chang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,185 in Koh Chang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Koh Chang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Koh Chang are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Koh Chang 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.56 ฿119

225.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$25.87 ฿864

82.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.08 ฿236

67.80%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.28 ฿76.1

74.56%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.66 ฿22.16

116.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.39 ฿13.04

110.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.89 ฿63.2

68.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.07 ฿102

121.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.64 ฿54.6

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.30 ฿43.44

69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.45 ฿48.46

17.93%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.93 ฿64.4

41.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$17.45 ฿583

-45.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.12 ฿104

188.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.11 ฿338

26.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.58 ฿86.2

12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.51 ฿50.4

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.02 ฿67.5

6.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.96 ฿65.5

15.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.38 ฿46.11

43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.25 ฿41.77

59.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.02 ฿34.01

20.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.51 ฿17.08

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.96 ฿132

14.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$16.56 ฿553

-37.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.60 ฿53.5

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.55 ฿85.2

12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.85 ฿61.9

-67.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.45 ฿81.8

120.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.82 ฿27.52

354.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$3.16 ฿106

82.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.15 ฿38.53

33.91%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$21.8K ฿726.8K

3.57%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$21.2K ฿708.4K

22.78%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$97.1 ฿3,242

-5.91%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.41 ฿347

142.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$16.70 ฿557

87.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$45.24 ฿1,510

48.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$9.55 ฿319

204.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.36 ฿212

-23.58%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$513 ฿17.1K

-56.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.4K ฿347.0K

-59.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$60.3 ฿2,014

-21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$27.66 ฿923

60.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$93.2 ฿3,111

-14.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$83.5 ฿2,788

10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$474 ฿15.8K

124.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$323 ฿10.8K

20.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,368 ฿45.7K

57.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$803 ฿26.8K

58.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,283 ฿76.2K

75.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,679 ฿56.1K

287.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.57

105.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Koh Chang: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $474 in Koh Chang. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.00 in Koh Chang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $244 – making Koh Chang 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 Koh Chang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $970 in Koh Chang – roughly 31% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,455 in Koh Chang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koh Chang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $970 in Koh Chang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $513 in Koh Chang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Chang, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Koh Chang 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 $970 in Koh Chang to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Koh Chang. 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.