Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koh Phan Ghan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koh Phan Ghan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,096 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,945 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,794 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than Koh Phan Ghan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Koh Phan Ghan 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.22 ฿138

177.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$41.00 ฿1,339

1.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.88 ฿257

35.03%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.76 ฿90.3

27.54%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.61 ฿19.95

147.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.36 ฿11.63

169.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.25 ฿73.4

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.35 ฿109

32.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.05 ฿67.0

-32.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.75 ฿57.0

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.08 ฿68.1

-21.15%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.12 ฿69.2

18.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$18.91 ฿618

-55.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.60 ฿118

131.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.82 ฿419

-16.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.16 ฿103

-17.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.54 ฿50.4

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.29 ฿74.9

-17.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.91 ฿62.4

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.46 ฿47.61

21.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.43 ฿46.72

53.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.92 ฿29.93

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.49 ฿16.08

120.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.24 ฿138

-3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$18.11 ฿592

-43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.73 ฿56.6

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.56 ฿83.7

0.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.27 ฿41.41

-59.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.69 ฿87.8

21.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.87 ฿28.57

186.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$12.31 ฿402

-73.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.17 ฿38.23

11.97%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$24.7K ฿805.1K

22.83%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$30.5K ฿997.3K

-23.27%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$122 ฿3,984

-32.06%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.49 ฿441

64.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.78 ฿614

56.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$60.1 ฿1,964

-14.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$16.94 ฿553

8.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.15 ฿299

-44.59%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$693 ฿22.6K

-71.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$16.0K ฿522.2K

-67.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$57.9 ฿1,892

-36.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.07 ฿1,113

16.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$116 ฿3,775

-32.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$83.4 ฿2,723

4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$425 ฿13.9K

128.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$313 ฿10.2K

49.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,432 ฿46.8K

14.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,044 ฿34.1K

16.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,558 ฿83.5K

54.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,826 ฿59.6K

255.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$744 ฿24.3K

-10.77%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Koh Phan Ghan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $425 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phan Ghan pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $41.00 in Koh Phan Ghan. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $279, 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 Phan Ghan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Koh Phan Ghan differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,096 including rent). Koh Phan Ghan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Koh Phan Ghan earns 12% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $425 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,096 in Koh Phan Ghan – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,096 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Phan Ghan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Phan Ghan 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 Phan Ghan 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 Phan Ghan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.