Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Krabi Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Krabi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,001 in Krabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,452 in Krabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,903 in Krabi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than Krabi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Krabi 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.12 ฿102

275.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$24.63 ฿804

68.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.03 ฿197

76.45%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$2.67 ฿87.3

31.84%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.95 ฿30.88

58.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.40 ฿12.98

142.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.39 ฿78.0

23.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.83 ฿92.4

57.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$2.51 ฿82.1

-45.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$2.45 ฿80.0

-22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.94 ฿63.5

-15.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$2.16 ฿70.6

16.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$27.55 ฿900

-69.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.61 ฿118

131.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$7.83 ฿256

37.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.47 ฿80.5

5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$0.89 ฿28.91

64.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.89 ฿61.8

0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$1.95 ฿63.6

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.50 ฿48.88

18.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.35 ฿44.09

62.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$1.48 ฿48.42

-29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.44 ฿14.51

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$3.65 ฿119

11.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.98 ฿358

-6.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.70 ฿55.6

0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$3.12 ฿102

-17.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.20 ฿39.20

-57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.11 ฿36.11

193.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$1.19 ฿38.77

109.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$6.15 ฿201

-47.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.20 ฿39.19

9.17%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$28.2K ฿921.3K

7.34%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$27.9K ฿912.0K

-16.09%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$43.78 ฿1,430

89.29%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$12.83 ฿419

73.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$27.96 ฿913

4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$40.95 ฿1,338

26.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$12.26 ฿400

49.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$6.78 ฿222

-25.22%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$213 ฿6,951

-5.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,852 ฿256.4K

-33.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$32.98 ฿1,077

11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.73 ฿1,134

14.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$108 ฿3,528

-27.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$76.3 ฿2,491

14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$498 ฿16.3K

95.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$372 ฿12.1K

25.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$596 ฿19.5K

175.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$445 ฿14.5K

174.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$1,212 ฿39.6K

225.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$1,070 ฿35.0K

507.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$732 ฿23.9K

-9.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.45

109.54%

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 Krabi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $498 in Krabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Krabi 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 $25.00 in Krabi. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $280, 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 Krabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Krabi differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,001 including rent). Krabi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Krabi earns 10% 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 $498 in Krabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 13% 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 $1,001 in Krabi – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,001 in Krabi versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krabi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Krabi 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 Krabi 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 Krabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.