Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Phangan: $1,103 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
Learn more

Koh Phangan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,103

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,103 in Koh Phangan.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Koh Phangan $1,103

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,874 in Koh Phangan.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Koh Phangan $1,874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,646 in Koh Phangan.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Koh Phangan $2,646

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 9% more expensive than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Koh Phangan 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$3.88 ฿131

181.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$28.98 ฿978

49.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.88 ฿266

49.49%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.46 ฿83.1

54.88%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$0.80 ฿27.04

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.44 ฿14.89

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.25 ฿76.0

40.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.26 ฿110

51.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.59 ฿53.6

-11.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.38 ฿46.55

60.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.44 ฿48.45

-1.39%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.00 ฿67.3

26.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$18.46 ฿623

-60.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$3.29 ฿111

134.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$10.67 ฿360

18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.72 ฿91.7

2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.54 ฿52.0

-11.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$2.07 ฿69.8

23.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.93 ฿65.2

9.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.44 ฿48.59

34.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.23 ฿41.64

53.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.07 ฿35.96

7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.48 ฿16.04

145.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$4.04 ฿136

6.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$17.83 ฿602

-44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.70 ฿57.4

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$2.65 ฿89.5

0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.32 ฿44.60

-58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$49.08 ฿1,656

-45.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$2.61 ฿88.2

90.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.96 ฿32.41

246.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$3.32 ฿112

61.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.33 ฿44.95

8.27%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$23.5K ฿794.5K

-12.24%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$23.7K ฿798.8K

-0.88%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$98.0 ฿3,308

-13.51%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$11.12 ฿375

110.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$16.94 ฿571

69.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$67.7 ฿2,284

-15.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$10.81 ฿365

167.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$7.68 ฿259

-33.07%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$478 ฿16.1K

-56.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$11.6K ฿391.4K

-66.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$62.1 ฿2,096

-30.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$28.52 ฿962

45.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$96.0 ฿3,240

-22.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$86.5 ฿2,919

3.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$498 ฿16.8K

96.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$348 ฿11.7K

9.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,349 ฿45.5K

26.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,007 ฿34.0K

6.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$2,927 ฿98.8K

34.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$2,098 ฿70.8K

193.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$724 ฿24.4K

1.49%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Koh Phangan

$348 31.6% 8.6% $33

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Koh Phangan

$254 23.1% 0.2% $0.5

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Koh Phangan

$107 9.7% 47.1% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Koh Phangan

$126 11.4% 7.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Koh Phangan

$123 11.1% 10% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Koh Phangan

$83 7.5% 23.4% $16

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Koh Phangan

$62 5.6% 22.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $498 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $29 in Koh Phangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $254 per month, with Koh Phangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

04:24 4:24 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Koh Phangan 16,550 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Koh Phangan

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 Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,103 in Koh Phangan, so Koh Phangan is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $1,654 in Koh Phangan 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $498 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 46% less than in Koh Phangan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,103 in Koh Phangan – Koh Phangan is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Koh Phangan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.