Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maha Sarakham Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maha Sarakham

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $916 in Maha Sarakham, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,498 in Maha Sarakham, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,079 in Maha Sarakham, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Maha Sarakham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Maha Sarakham are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Maha Sarakham 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$3.04 ฿98.9

292.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$27.12 ฿882

57.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$6.37 ฿207

66.25%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.01 ฿65.3

80.10%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.67 ฿21.76

119.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.27 ฿8.65

248.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.44 ฿79.5

26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.59 ฿117

24.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.75 ฿56.9

-18.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.33 ฿43.27

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.27 ฿41.37

28.35%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.20 ฿71.4

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$18.81 ฿611

-56.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$3.01 ฿97.8

175.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$10.62 ฿345

4.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.23 ฿105

-17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.25 ฿40.58

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.90 ฿61.8

4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.57 ฿51.1

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.51 ฿49.14

18.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.24 ฿40.46

75.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.03 ฿33.40

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.51 ฿16.66

103.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.40 ฿143

-9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$16.89 ฿549

-39.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.79 ฿58.3

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.75 ฿89.5

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.95 ฿31.02

-45.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.09 ฿35.57

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.20 ฿39.03

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.20 ฿202

-50.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.25 ฿40.53

1.60%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$28.1K ฿914.8K

9.74%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$27.1K ฿882.2K

-14.08%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$75.9 ฿2,467

8.05%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$13.51 ฿439

66.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$18.71 ฿608

58.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$50.2 ฿1,631

3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$12.23 ฿398

52.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$7.03 ฿229

-29.30%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$297 ฿9,643

-33.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$9,747 ฿316.9K

-45.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$33.86 ฿1,101

7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$34.94 ฿1,136

14.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$99.0 ฿3,217

-19.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$71.4 ฿2,322

24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$427 ฿13.9K

125.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$287 ฿9,321

62.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$813 ฿26.4K

96.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$655 ฿21.3K

84.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,136 ฿69.4K

84.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,589 ฿51.7K

305.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.45

109.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Maha Sarakham: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $427 in Maha Sarakham. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Maha Sarakham. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $253 in Maha Sarakham – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Maha Sarakham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $916 in Maha Sarakham – roughly 40% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,374 in Maha Sarakham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maha Sarakham, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $27.00 in Maha Sarakham. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maha Sarakham, where all-in costs run around $916, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Maha Sarakham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $916 in Maha Sarakham to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Maha Sarakham. 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.