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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $978 in Koh Lanta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,737 in Koh Lanta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,497 in Koh Lanta.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than Koh Lanta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Koh Lanta 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$3.77 ฿121

207.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$36.28 ฿1,163

17.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$6.86 ฿220

54.52%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.47 ฿79.2

45.34%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.56 ฿17.94

158.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.29 ฿9.23

210.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.98 ฿63.5

53.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.90 ฿92.8

57.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.95 ฿62.4

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.70 ฿54.6

7.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$2.05 ฿65.7

-21.46%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$2.00 ฿64.0

27.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$17.35 ฿556

-50.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.23 ฿104

162.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$11.84 ฿379

-8.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$2.90 ฿93.1

-5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.46 ฿46.72

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$2.14 ฿68.5

-9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.80 ฿57.8

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$1.39 ฿44.63

33.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.29 ฿41.36

69.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.87 ฿27.81

22.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.43 ฿13.71

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$3.92 ฿126

3.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$17.63 ฿565

-40.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$1.67 ฿53.5

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$2.45 ฿78.5

4.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$1.14 ฿36.53

-50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$2.49 ฿80.0

26.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.78 ฿25.03

203.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$11.13 ฿357

-70.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.08 ฿34.55

21.30%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$22.2K ฿711.0K

37.70%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$26.3K ฿842.4K

-9.33%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$116 ฿3,725

-28.45%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$12.97 ฿416

70.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$17.34 ฿556

69.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$50.9 ฿1,633

0.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$14.15 ฿454

32.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$7.66 ฿246

-36.16%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$630 ฿20.2K

-68.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$14.5K ฿465.3K

-64.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$56.4 ฿1,810

-36.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$32.77 ฿1,051

20.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$107 ฿3,441

-25.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$79.2 ฿2,538

10.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$364 ฿11.7K

164.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$266 ฿8,519

81.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$1,217 ฿39.0K

35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$908 ฿29.1K

31.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$2,234 ฿71.6K

77.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$1,585 ฿50.8K

310.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Koh Lanta: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $364 in Koh Lanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $36 in Koh Lanta. Groceries flip the comparison at $253 vs $261, 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,262 vs $978 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,894 in Playa del Carmen and $1,467 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $364 in Koh Lanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $630 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Koh Lanta versus $1,262 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 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.