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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Lopburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,278 in Lopburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,764 in Lopburi.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than in Lopburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lopburi 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$1.36 ฿45.70

781.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$12.22 ฿411

241.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.72 ฿159

127.75%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.25 ฿42.03

180.00%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.64 ฿21.56

126.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.32 ฿10.92

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.98 ฿66.7

48.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.73 ฿126

20.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.25 ฿42.05

14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.49 ฿50.1

23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.08 ฿36.48

45.37%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.83 ฿61.5

37.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$13.14 ฿442

-36.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$2.71 ฿91.2

211.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.71 ฿360

-0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.37 ฿46.08

90.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.76 ฿25.48

89.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.20 ฿40.23

63.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.58 ฿53.0

32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.69 ฿56.7

9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.93 ฿31.40

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.78 ฿26.31

32.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.45 ฿15.24

137.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.58 ฿154

-10.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$14.43 ฿485

-29.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.72 ฿58.0

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$3.51 ฿118

-27.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.88 ฿29.68

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.05 ฿35.36

207.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.75 ฿25.32

221.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.48 ฿184

-41.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.30 ฿43.61

1.54%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.7K ฿663.9K

50.43%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$21.4K ฿719.3K

10.63%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$73.4 ฿2,470

11.68%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$12.93 ฿435

77.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$9.34 ฿314

222.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$49.09 ฿1,651

5.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$12.35 ฿415

50.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.61 ฿256

-34.56%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$137 ฿4,592

44.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,180 ฿207.8K

-13.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$19.69 ฿662

80.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$24.62 ฿828

63.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$60.6 ฿2,037

30.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$57.1 ฿1,921

55.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$429 ฿14.4K

120.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$282 ฿9,494

67.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$813 ฿27.3K

102.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$653 ฿22.0K

85.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,060 ฿69.3K

96.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,435 ฿48.3K

350.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lopburi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $429 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 $208 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 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,187 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $429 in Lopburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $137 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 $791 in Lopburi versus $1,256 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.