Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koh Tao Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Koh Tao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,057 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,760 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,463 in Koh Tao.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 22% more expensive than in Koh Tao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Koh Tao 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$3.78 ฿124

209.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$27.72 ฿911

68.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$7.49 ฿246

55.54%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.44 ฿80.1

67.62%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.75 ฿24.69

82.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.38 ฿12.51

118.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.11 ฿69.3

58.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.17 ฿104

117.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.80 ฿59.2

-3.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.38 ฿45.52

63.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.51 ฿49.68

17.22%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.09 ฿68.7

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$18.48 ฿608

-50.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$3.29 ฿108

171.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$10.69 ฿351

17.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.83 ฿93.2

6.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.59 ฿52.2

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.16 ฿70.9

-1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$2.01 ฿66.0

12.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.44 ฿47.38

38.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.32 ฿43.30

56.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.02 ฿33.62

15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.51 ฿16.83

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$4.10 ฿135

12.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$17.52 ฿576

-38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.70 ฿55.9

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$2.66 ฿87.3

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$2.05 ฿67.3

-72.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.70 ฿88.7

101.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.97 ฿32.01

281.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$3.60 ฿118

66.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.35 ฿44.27

14.81%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$24.2K ฿795.8K

-7.75%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$24.2K ฿794.8K

7.35%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$102 ฿3,338

-12.21%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$10.98 ฿361

128.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$17.74 ฿583

77.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$55.3 ฿1,817

22.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$11.74 ฿386

146.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$7.87 ฿259

-35.83%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$570 ฿18.7K

-60.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$11.5K ฿377.2K

-63.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$63.5 ฿2,087

-25.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$28.56 ฿939

57.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$97.5 ฿3,205

-15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$89.0 ฿2,928

3.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$559 ฿18.4K

91.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$364 ฿12.0K

11.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,598 ฿52.6K

21.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$910 ฿29.9K

42.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,666 ฿87.7K

49.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,918 ฿63.1K

245.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $559 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $259 per month, with Koh Tao 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 Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $1,586 in Koh Tao 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $559 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $570 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Koh Tao versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Koh Tao 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 Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.