Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nakhon Si Thammarat Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nakhon Si Thammarat

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,012 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,674 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,337 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% more than Nakhon Si Thammarat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nakhon Si Thammarat are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nakhon Si Thammarat 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.99 ฿98.8

300.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$32.31 ฿1,067

46.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.77 ฿290

33.98%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.89 ฿95.3

42.56%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.83 ฿27.29

68.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.49 ฿16.09

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.40 ฿79.1

33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.73 ฿123

89.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.90 ฿62.8

-11.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.48 ฿48.88

45.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.55 ฿51.3

14.19%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.14 ฿70.8

31.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$19.99 ฿660

-53.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.51 ฿116

162.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.15 ฿368

13.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.97 ฿98.0

-0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.72 ฿56.7

-8.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$2.26 ฿74.6

-1.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.11 ฿69.7

11.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.55 ฿51.1

28.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.40 ฿46.16

41.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.15 ฿38.07

7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.56 ฿18.50

116.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.48 ฿148

2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$18.87 ฿623

-44.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.80 ฿59.5

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.82 ฿93.1

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.97 ฿31.90

-38.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.98 ฿98.5

75.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.09 ฿35.94

234.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$3.97 ฿131

45.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.43 ฿47.34

7.69%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$27.8K ฿918.1K

-17.94%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$26.7K ฿883.3K

-3.45%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$105 ฿3,474

-13.78%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$11.44 ฿378

120.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$17.60 ฿581

80.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$42.64 ฿1,409

61.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$15.83 ฿523

85.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.96 ฿263

-38.94%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$578 ฿19.1K

-60.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$11.8K ฿389.5K

-64.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$63.5 ฿2,099

-25.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$29.07 ฿960

49.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$98.1 ฿3,240

-18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$89.5 ฿2,956

2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$406 ฿13.4K

167.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$347 ฿11.5K

17.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,247 ฿41.2K

58.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$743 ฿24.6K

72.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,273 ฿75.1K

78.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,624 ฿53.7K

312.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.57

105.57%

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 Si Thammarat: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $406 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $275 – making Nakhon Si Thammarat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Si Thammarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, $1,012 in Nakhon Si Thammarat – roughly 29% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,518 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,012 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $578 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Nakhon Si Thammarat 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 $1,012 in Nakhon Si Thammarat to $1,305 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 Nakhon Si Thammarat. 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.