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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,105 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,959 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,813 in Koh Tao.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 17% more expensive than Koh Tao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.87 ฿126

203.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$38.52 ฿1,258

8.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.53 ฿246

41.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.62 ฿85.5

34.35%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.58 ฿18.92

160.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.33 ฿10.91

193.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.08 ฿67.9

41.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.21 ฿105

38.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.10 ฿68.7

-34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.73 ฿56.5

9.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.06 ฿67.4

-20.39%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.23 ฿72.9

12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$18.88 ฿617

-55.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.44 ฿112

142.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.67 ฿414

-15.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.23 ฿106

-19.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.55 ฿50.8

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.25 ฿73.5

-15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.99 ฿64.9

4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.46 ฿47.57

21.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.37 ฿44.84

59.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.99 ฿32.22

5.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.49 ฿16.11

120.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.21 ฿138

-3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$18.20 ฿594

-43.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.73 ฿56.5

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.54 ฿82.8

1.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.21 ฿39.68

-57.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.82 ฿92.0

15.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.89 ฿29.06

179.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$12.24 ฿400

-73.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.19 ฿38.77

10.08%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$25.2K ฿821.6K

20.37%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$30.0K ฿979.7K

-21.89%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$121 ฿3,952

-31.52%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.52 ฿442

64.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.76 ฿613

56.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$63.5 ฿2,072

-18.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$18.08 ฿590

1.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.65 ฿315

-47.46%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$683 ฿22.3K

-70.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$16.0K ฿524.1K

-67.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$59.2 ฿1,933

-37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.52 ฿1,127

15.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$117 ฿3,810

-32.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$83.3 ฿2,719

4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$464 ฿15.1K

109.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$331 ฿10.8K

41.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,557 ฿50.9K

5.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,110 ฿36.3K

9.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,760 ฿90.1K

42.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,997 ฿65.2K

225.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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 Tao: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $464 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Koh Tao. 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 Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,657 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $464 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $683 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 $39.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,105 in Koh Tao versus $1,297 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 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.