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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,042 in Krabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,438 in Krabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,834 in Krabi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than in Krabi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Krabi 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.09 ฿102

287.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$19.41 ฿641

144.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.87 ฿293

32.47%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.79 ฿59.2

130.17%

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

$1.40 MX$23.75

$1.09 ฿36.18

28.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.45 ฿14.76

102.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.92 ฿63.4

67.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.49 ฿82.3

183.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.46

$2.29 ฿75.6

-26.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.50

$1.49 ฿49.16

44.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.11

$2.20 ฿72.8

-19.55%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.78

$1.84 ฿60.8

53.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$16.02 ฿529

-42.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.81 ฿92.7

228.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.69 ฿254

64.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.47 ฿81.6

19.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.80

$1.07 ฿35.52

47.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.72

$2.14 ฿70.8

3.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.11

$1.56 ฿51.5

51.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.82

$1.42 ฿46.96

40.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.60

$1.31 ฿43.40

51.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.05

$1.57 ฿51.8

-21.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.56

$0.49 ฿16.14

146.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.46 ฿147

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$10.96 ฿362

-4.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.71

$1.82 ฿60.2

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.09

$2.41 ฿79.5

14.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.23

$0.95 ฿31.54

-36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.9

$2.47 ฿81.5

112.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.77 ฿58.4

106.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.2

$6.06 ฿200

-4.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.11

$1.28 ฿42.24

20.31%

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

$22.8K MX$387.0K

$22.1K ฿730.9K

3.07%

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

$25.8K MX$438.1K

$24.7K ฿817.1K

4.38%

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

$90.7 MX$1,539

$72.0 ฿2,378

25.97%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$11.45 ฿378

120.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$24.90 ฿823

27.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,168

$64.1 ฿2,117

7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$9.09 ฿300

223.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.46 ฿246

-34.85%

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

$226 MX$3,830

$213 ฿7,049

5.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$8,492 ฿280.6K

-50.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$14.92 ฿493

217.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$15.40 ฿509

182.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,362

$75.5 ฿2,496

6.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,551

$75.7 ฿2,500

20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$355 ฿11.7K

205.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,936

$420 ฿13.9K

-2.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$718 ฿23.7K

174.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$542 ฿17.9K

136.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$1,229 ฿40.6K

229.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.8K

$1,076 ฿35.6K

522.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$708 ฿23.4K

9.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.4

54.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Krabi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $355 in Krabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 9% 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 $19.00 in Krabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $229 per month, with Krabi 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 Krabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Krabi differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,042 including rent). Krabi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $355 in Krabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,042 in Krabi – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,042 in Krabi versus $1,305 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.