Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nakhon Ratchasima Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nakhon Ratchasima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $799 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,294 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,788 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 63% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$3.00 ฿98.6

298.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$26.55 ฿873

78.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.38 ฿210

84.17%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$2.01 ฿66.0

104.98%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$0.55 ฿18.08

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$0.30 ฿9.81

203.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$1.87 ฿61.6

71.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.76 ฿90.9

156.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$1.69 ฿55.7

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$1.30 ฿42.87

65.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$1.28 ฿42.14

38.28%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$1.54 ฿50.5

83.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.68 ฿516

-41.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$2.71 ฿89.2

240.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.30 ฿339

22.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$3.29 ฿108

-10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$1.28 ฿42.13

23.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$1.97 ฿64.8

12.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$2.02 ฿66.6

16.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$1.21 ฿39.85

64.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$1.06 ฿34.74

86.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$1.30 ฿42.82

-4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$0.36 ฿11.80

236.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$2.83 ฿93.0

62.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$18.13 ฿596

-41.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$1.68 ฿55.3

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$3.03 ฿99.5

-8.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

$0.48 ฿15.82

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

$19.78 ฿650

50.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$1.03 ฿33.97

408.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$1.15 ฿37.97

217.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$7.42 ฿244

-22.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.36 ฿44.86

13.24%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$46.0K ฿1.5M

-50.43%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

-5.56%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$89.9 ฿2,955

0.89%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$11.69 ฿384

115.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$19.68 ฿647

61.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

$48.99 ฿1,611

40.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

$15.40 ฿506

90.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$4.93 ฿162

-1.42%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$180 ฿5,914

25.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$14.9K ฿489.1K

-71.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$52.3 ฿1,719

-9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$30.02 ฿987

44.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$79.9 ฿2,626

0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$68.2 ฿2,242

34.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$220 ฿7,242

392.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

$162 ฿5,326

152.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$502 ฿16.5K

292.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$425 ฿14.0K

201.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

$3,331 ฿109.5K

21.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

$1,761 ฿57.9K

280.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$625 ฿20.6K

23.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.1

124.51%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $220 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $241 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $799 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $220 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $799 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.