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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,060 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,740 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,420 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than in Koh Phan Ghan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Koh Phan Ghan 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.98 ฿133

191.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$28.74 ฿959

63.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.06 ฿269

47.39%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.59 ฿86.6

53.67%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.79 ฿26.31

81.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.44 ฿14.69

86.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.16 ฿72.1

47.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.46 ฿115

96.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.79 ฿59.8

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.32 ฿44.16

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.47 ฿49.05

16.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.11 ฿70.4

29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$18.57 ฿620

-48.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.31 ฿111

172.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.45 ฿349

22.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.84 ฿95.0

1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.62 ฿54.1

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.13 ฿71.1

0.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.00 ฿66.6

13.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.40 ฿46.85

41.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.28 ฿42.57

55.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.07 ฿35.75

14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.55 ฿18.21

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.20 ฿140

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$17.59 ฿587

-41.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.68 ฿56.1

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.70 ฿90.1

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$2.02 ฿67.3

-70.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.69 ฿89.9

100.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.97 ฿32.54

284.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$3.58 ฿120

61.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.32 ฿44.12

16.67%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$24.7K ฿823.2K

-8.57%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$24.7K ฿824.5K

5.50%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$101 ฿3,359

-9.18%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$11.06 ฿369

127.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$17.35 ฿579

80.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$52.7 ฿1,758

27.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$11.18 ฿373

160.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.85 ฿262

-38.09%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$561 ฿18.7K

-60.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$11.7K ฿392.1K

-64.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$62.6 ฿2,089

-24.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$29.47 ฿984

50.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$95.1 ฿3,173

-15.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$88.6 ฿2,958

4.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$520 ฿17.4K

104.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$346 ฿11.6K

12.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,486 ฿49.6K

44.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$864 ฿28.8K

47.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,528 ฿84.4K

58.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,756 ฿58.6K

270.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$728 ฿24.3K

4.17%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Koh Phan Ghan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $520 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $29.00 in Koh Phan Ghan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $258 per month, with Koh Phan Ghan cheaper across the board.

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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,060 including rent). Koh Phan Ghan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,060 in Koh Phan Ghan – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,060 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,266 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.