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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $840 in Lampang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,401 in Lampang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,962 in Lampang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 51% more than Lampang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Lampang are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Lampang 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.07 ฿69.1

460.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$19.41 ฿648

142.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.49 ฿183

116.39%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.26 ฿41.93

215.87%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.36 ฿11.89

297.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.32 ฿10.57

156.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.51 ฿50.3

111.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.63 ฿121

87.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.07 ฿69.0

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.58 ฿52.6

39.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.42 ฿47.40

20.42%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.27 ฿75.6

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$16.39 ฿547

-41.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.98 ฿99.5

202.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.58 ฿320

33.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.62 ฿87.4

10.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.07 ฿35.62

40.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.59 ฿53.1

35.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.54 ฿51.3

46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.25 ฿41.62

58.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.07 ฿35.83

85.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.77 ฿25.79

59.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.50 ฿16.84

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.26 ฿142

6.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$18.24 ฿609

-43.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.70 ฿56.9

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.81 ฿93.9

2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.93 ฿31.10

-35.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.20 ฿39.99

349.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.55 ฿18.29

578.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$2.44 ฿81.5

136.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.04 ฿34.84

48.08%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$21.4K ฿714.4K

5.35%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$27.2K ฿909.2K

-4.34%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$30.07 ฿1,004

203.89%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$13.38 ฿447

88.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$18.04 ฿602

73.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$48.46 ฿1,617

38.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$14.10 ฿471

106.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$5.58 ฿186

-12.90%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$795 ฿26.5K

-71.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$14.9K ฿496.6K

-71.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$55.9 ฿1,866

-15.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$25.79 ฿861

71.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$93.1 ฿3,106

-13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$74.3 ฿2,478

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$455 ฿15.2K

133.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$309 ฿10.3K

26.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,396 ฿46.6K

53.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$753 ฿25.1K

68.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,986 ฿66.3K

101.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,637 ฿54.6K

297.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$614 ฿20.5K

23.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

281.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lampang: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $455 in Lampang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Lampang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $243 – making Lampang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lampang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 51%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,259 in Lampang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lampang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $19.00 in Lampang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lampang, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Lampang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lampang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lampang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.