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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $934 in Nakhon Sawan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,542 in Nakhon Sawan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,150 in Nakhon Sawan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 38% more than Nakhon Sawan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nakhon Sawan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Nakhon Sawan 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$3.12 ฿102

282.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$30.43 ฿989

40.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$6.21 ฿202

70.53%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.55 ฿50.4

133.55%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.38 ฿12.46

286.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.27 ฿8.71

248.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.47 ฿80.4

25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.98 ฿129

12.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.85 ฿60.1

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.41 ฿45.87

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.40 ฿45.53

16.43%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.71 ฿55.5

54.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$18.68 ฿607

-56.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$2.97 ฿96.5

179.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$9.57 ฿311

15.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.45 ฿112

-23.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.79 ฿25.79

89.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.31 ฿75.0

-13.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.86 ฿60.5

11.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.21 ฿39.45

47.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.26 ฿40.86

73.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.03 ฿33.45

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.49 ฿15.86

112.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.75 ฿89.3

44.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$17.18 ฿559

-40.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.63 ฿52.9

6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.41 ฿111

-26.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.64 ฿20.82

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.11 ฿35.94

182.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.15 ฿37.24

108.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.12 ฿199

-49.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.19 ฿38.62

6.72%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$37.4K ฿1.2M

-17.38%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$28.7K ฿931.5K

-18.63%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$87.6 ฿2,847

-6.35%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$12.60 ฿410

78.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$17.35 ฿564

70.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$49.18 ฿1,599

5.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$12.07 ฿392

54.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$7.54 ฿245

-34.08%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$607 ฿19.7K

-67.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$13.5K ฿439.5K

-61.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$58.2 ฿1,891

-37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$39.46 ฿1,283

1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$106 ฿3,436

-24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$94.9 ฿3,084

-6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$428 ฿13.9K

125.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$281 ฿9,119

65.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$811 ฿26.4K

96.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$651 ฿21.2K

85.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$2,212 ฿71.9K

78.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,304 ฿42.4K

394.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$504 ฿16.4K

43.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.84

95.55%

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 Nakhon Sawan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $428 in Nakhon Sawan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 43% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Nakhon Sawan. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $251 in Nakhon Sawan – 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 Nakhon Sawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 38%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,402 in Nakhon Sawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakhon Sawan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $934 in Nakhon Sawan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $607 in Nakhon Sawan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nakhon Sawan, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Nakhon Sawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nakhon Sawan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Nakhon Sawan. 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.