Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koh Lipe

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,098 in Koh Lipe, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Koh Lipe
Learn more

Koh Lipe Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Koh Lipe

🇹🇭 Thailand

$2,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Koh Lipe

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 Koh Lipe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,098 in Koh Lipe.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Koh Lipe $2,098

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,592 in Koh Lipe.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Koh Lipe $3,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,086 in Koh Lipe.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Koh Lipe $5,086

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 43% less than in Koh Lipe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Koh Lipe is 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$6.97 ฿233

55.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$52.3 ฿1,748

-15.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$13.86 ฿463

-15.15%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$4.54 ฿152

-18.94%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.51 ฿50.5

-11.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.74 ฿24.70

10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$3.97 ฿133

-22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$6.11 ฿204

-19.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.14 ฿71.6

-31.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.77 ฿59.3

25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.88 ฿63.0

-21.28%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.73 ฿91.4

-8.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$24.27 ฿811

-69.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.17 ฿139

90.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$13.98 ฿467

-10.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.74 ฿125

-25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.10 ฿70.1

-31.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.79 ฿93.3

-6.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.62 ฿87.5

-18.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.83 ฿61.1

10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.67 ฿55.9

19.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.38 ฿46.28

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.68 ฿22.89

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$5.52 ฿185

-22.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$22.90 ฿765

-56.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.19 ฿73.3

-29.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$3.59 ฿120

-25.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$3.44 ฿115

-84.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$4.46 ฿149

9.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.59 ฿53.1

115.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$5.83 ฿195

-7.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$2.21 ฿74.0

-34.39%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$40.4K ฿1.3M

-47.57%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$40.0K ฿1.3M

-42.51%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$113 ฿3,773

-24.39%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$12.73 ฿425

84.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$20.03 ฿669

41.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$66.6 ฿2,225

-6.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$13.60 ฿454

110.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$9.45 ฿316

-46.03%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$696 ฿23.3K

-71.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$14.5K ฿483.5K

-72.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$67.4 ฿2,253

-34.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$29.63 ฿990

39.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$102 ฿3,424

-29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$92.5 ฿3,090

-3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,835 ฿61.3K

-46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,181 ฿39.5K

-68.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$5,300 ฿177.1K

-68.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$3,000 ฿100.3K

-63.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$8,628 ฿288.3K

-54.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$6,214 ฿207.7K

-1.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Koh Lipe: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Koh Lipe

$1.2K 56.3% 217% $808

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Koh Lipe

$335 16% 29.8% $77

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Koh Lipe

$193 9.2% 3.7% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Koh Lipe

$146 6.9% 6.1% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Koh Lipe

$131 6.3% 17.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Koh Lipe

$85 4.1% 18.1% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Koh Lipe

$26 * 1.3% 49.4% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $1,835 in Koh Lipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $52.0 in Koh Lipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $335 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇭 Koh Lipe

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

23:12 11:12 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

800

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Koh Lipe 16,920 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Koh Lipe

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 Koh Lipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Koh Lipe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $3,147 in Koh Lipe 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: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,835 in Koh Lipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $696 in Koh Lipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $52.0 in Koh Lipe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,098 in Koh Lipe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Koh Lipe. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Koh Lipe 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Koh Lipe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.