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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $967 in Koh Lanta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,719 in Koh Lanta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,471 in Koh Lanta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Koh Lanta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Koh Lanta 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.78 ฿127

217.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.38 ฿1,223

14.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.07 ฿238

52.05%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.43 ฿81.7

44.03%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.55 ฿18.38

163.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.29 ฿9.74

203.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.01 ฿67.5

46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.04 ฿102

48.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.04 ฿68.5

-29.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.69 ฿56.9

8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.02 ฿67.8

-22.28%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.07 ฿69.7

21.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$17.93 ฿603

-53.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.41 ฿115

147.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.79 ฿397

-9.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.89 ฿97.3

-9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.46 ฿48.97

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.06 ฿69.4

-4.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.89 ฿63.7

10.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.44 ฿48.46

28.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.31 ฿43.99

65.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.94 ฿31.63

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.46 ฿15.52

132.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.92 ฿132

4.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$16.71 ฿562

-39.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.61 ฿54.3

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.49 ฿83.8

1.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.08 ฿36.44

-52.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.42 ฿81.5

33.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.81 ฿27.07

197.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$11.31 ฿380

-71.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.07 ฿36.04

23.36%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.5K ฿755.1K

32.25%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$26.7K ฿897.1K

-11.30%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$116 ฿3,904

-29.35%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$12.87 ฿433

78.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$17.34 ฿583

73.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$52.0 ฿1,750

-0.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$14.33 ฿482

29.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.50 ฿252

-33.60%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$617 ฿20.8K

-68.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$14.5K ฿488.6K

-63.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$56.1 ฿1,887

-36.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$32.84 ฿1,104

22.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$110 ฿3,691

-28.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$79.7 ฿2,681

11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$375 ฿12.6K

152.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$265 ฿8,901

79.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,233 ฿41.5K

33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$892 ฿30.0K

35.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,098 ฿70.6K

93.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,518 ฿51.1K

326.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.33

114.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Koh Lanta: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $375 in Koh Lanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Koh Lanta. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $263, 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 Koh Lanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Koh Lanta differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $967 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,450 in Koh Lanta 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $375 in Koh Lanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $617 in Koh Lanta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Lanta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $967 in Koh Lanta versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Lanta but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Lanta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.