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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,908 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,754 in Koh Phan Ghan.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Koh Phan Ghan 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$4.07 ฿137

194.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$42.11 ฿1,414

-0.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$7.60 ฿255

41.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$2.63 ฿88.3

33.08%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.62 ฿20.80

133.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.35 ฿11.84

151.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$2.27 ฿76.1

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$3.26 ฿109

38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$2.13 ฿71.4

-32.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$1.73 ฿58.0

6.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$2.14 ฿71.7

-26.64%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$2.12 ฿71.3

18.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$18.40 ฿618

-55.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.57 ฿120

136.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$12.48 ฿419

-14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$3.23 ฿108

-19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$1.61 ฿54.2

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$2.29 ฿76.7

-14.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$1.92 ฿64.5

8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$1.46 ฿48.91

26.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$1.39 ฿46.53

56.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.98 ฿32.75

5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.49 ฿16.55

118.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$4.07 ฿137

0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$17.94 ฿602

-43.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$1.69 ฿56.7

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$2.61 ฿87.5

-3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$1.28 ฿43.14

-60.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$2.70 ฿90.6

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$0.93 ฿31.26

159.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$12.52 ฿420

-74.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.23 ฿41.19

7.32%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$24.8K ฿831.8K

19.84%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$29.7K ฿997.7K

-20.38%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$122 ฿4,087

-32.64%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$13.51 ฿454

69.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$18.67 ฿627

61.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$61.8 ฿2,074

-15.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$17.15 ฿576

8.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$8.66 ฿291

-42.49%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$700 ฿23.5K

-71.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$15.8K ฿531.0K

-66.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$58.9 ฿1,976

-39.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$34.51 ฿1,158

16.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$117 ฿3,925

-32.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$84.2 ฿2,825

5.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$438 ฿14.7K

116.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$309 ฿10.4K

53.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$1,438 ฿48.3K

14.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,043 ฿35.0K

16.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$2,510 ฿84.3K

61.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$1,776 ฿59.6K

264.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$721 ฿24.2K

-9.32%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Koh Phan Ghan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $438 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phan Ghan pays 10% 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 $42.00 in Koh Phan Ghan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,061 including rent). Koh Phan Ghan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Koh Phan Ghan. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $438 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,256 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.