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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $811 in Lopburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,321 in Lopburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,831 in Lopburi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 56% more expensive than in Lopburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Lopburi 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$1.41 ฿47.06

722.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$12.39 ฿414

280.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$4.64 ฿155

156.03%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.25 ฿41.61

218.40%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.76 ฿25.53

88.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.29 ฿9.67

182.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.12 ฿70.6

50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.96 ฿98.8

129.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.24 ฿41.55

35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.37 ฿45.66

60.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.24 ฿41.48

37.90%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.81 ฿60.3

51.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$12.65 ฿422

-24.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.44 ฿81.3

269.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.39 ฿347

23.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.33 ฿44.47

117.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.95 ฿31.71

57.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.25 ฿41.73

72.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.65 ฿55.2

36.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.84 ฿61.5

7.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.94 ฿31.30

111.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.79 ฿26.26

55.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.42 ฿13.97

185.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.61 ฿154

-1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.41 ฿481

-28.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.70 ฿56.8

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.62 ฿87.4

9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.90 ฿29.88

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.31 ฿43.79

311.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.55 ฿51.8

140.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$3.88 ฿130

48.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.48 ฿49.33

4.05%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$16.5K ฿552.3K

36.27%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$27.5K ฿917.6K

-5.21%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$85.4 ฿2,851

6.99%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$9.61 ฿321

162.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$9.10 ฿304

243.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$47.78 ฿1,595

40.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$14.11 ฿471

106.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$6.58 ฿220

-26.14%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$738 ฿24.6K

-69.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$6,018 ฿200.9K

-29.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$6.01 ฿201

683.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$29.72 ฿992

49.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$71.8 ฿2,396

11.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$55.2 ฿1,843

67.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$457 ฿15.3K

132.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$304 ฿10.1K

28.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,403 ฿46.8K

53.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$749 ฿25.0K

69.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,976 ฿66.0K

102.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,607 ฿53.6K

304.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.3

81.75%

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 Lopburi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $457 in Lopburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Lopburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $203 per month, with Lopburi 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 Lopburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lopburi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,216 in Lopburi 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $457 in Lopburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $738 in Lopburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lopburi – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $811 in Lopburi versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lopburi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lopburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lopburi 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 Lopburi 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 Lopburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.