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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $812 in Lopburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,257 in Lopburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,702 in Lopburi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than Lopburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Lopburi 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.37 ฿44.71

756.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$12.43 ฿406

234.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.75 ฿155

124.00%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.22 ฿39.85

188.52%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.69 ฿22.49

118.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.32 ฿10.62

203.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.95 ฿63.7

51.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.62 ฿118

22.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.26 ฿41.04

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.46 ฿47.74

29.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.13 ฿36.91

45.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.90 ฿62.1

32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.22 ฿432

-36.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.83 ฿92.5

194.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.75 ฿351

-0.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.40 ฿45.80

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.80 ฿26.11

82.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.20 ฿39.17

58.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.50 ฿49.04

38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.61 ฿52.5

10.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.96 ฿31.52

128.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.76 ฿24.72

36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.42 ฿13.88

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.60 ฿150

-11.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$14.49 ฿474

-28.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.66 ฿54.3

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$3.48 ฿114

-25.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.95 ฿31.11

-46.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.06 ฿34.61

207.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.70 ฿22.97

255.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.33 ฿174

-39.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.35 ฿44.06

-2.96%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.7K ฿642.8K

53.98%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$21.4K ฿700.9K

9.27%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$72.4 ฿2,368

14.40%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$13.01 ฿425

70.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$9.02 ฿295

225.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$48.96 ฿1,601

5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$12.30 ฿402

48.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.57 ฿248

-33.03%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$141 ฿4,602

42.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$6,142 ฿200.8K

-15.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$19.57 ฿640

88.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$24.87 ฿813

59.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$61.7 ฿2,017

27.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$56.7 ฿1,854

53.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$416 ฿13.6K

133.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$290 ฿9,472

61.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$820 ฿26.8K

100.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$656 ฿21.4K

86.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,225 ฿72.7K

77.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,472 ฿48.1K

341.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.17

85.09%

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 Lopburi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $416 in Lopburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Lopburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $209 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,217 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $416 in Lopburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $141 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $812 in Lopburi versus $1,297 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 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.