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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,061 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,721 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,380 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 22% 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 3% lower, Nakhon Si Thammarat 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.13 ฿102

274.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$46.45 ฿1,517

-10.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.71 ฿284

22.16%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.94 ฿96.1

19.73%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.70 ฿22.75

115.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.40 ฿12.99

142.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.48 ฿80.8

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.78 ฿123

17.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.18 ฿71.3

-36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.81 ฿59.2

4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.23 ฿72.9

-26.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.26 ฿73.8

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$19.79 ฿646

-57.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.69 ฿120

126.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.27 ฿433

-19.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.36 ฿110

-22.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.61 ฿52.6

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.32 ฿75.6

-18.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.03 ฿66.3

2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.59 ฿51.8

11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.50 ฿49.06

46.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.02 ฿33.42

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.48 ฿15.69

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.34 ฿142

-5.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$19.25 ฿629

-46.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.79 ฿58.5

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.78 ฿90.8

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.89 ฿29.21

-42.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.10 ฿35.85

196.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.99 ฿32.32

151.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$14.05 ฿459

-76.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.37 ฿44.70

-4.38%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$28.0K ฿914.6K

8.13%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-28.81%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$122 ฿3,969

-31.81%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.86 ฿453

60.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.63 ฿608

57.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$48.44 ฿1,582

6.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$12.15 ฿397

50.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.06 ฿296

-44.04%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$702 ฿22.9K

-71.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$15.9K ฿520.4K

-67.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$58.0 ฿1,893

-36.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.56 ฿1,129

15.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$114 ฿3,727

-31.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$84.5 ฿2,759

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$425 ฿13.9K

128.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$285 ฿9,315

63.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$809 ฿26.4K

102.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$669 ฿21.8K

82.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,752 ฿57.2K

125.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,441 ฿47.1K

350.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.33

114.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Si Thammarat: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $425 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $46.00 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $292 – making Playa del Carmen 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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $1,061 in Nakhon Si Thammarat – roughly 22% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,592 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,061 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $702 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 $1,061, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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 $1,061 in Nakhon Si Thammarat to $1,297 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.