Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nong Khai Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nong Khai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $760 in Nong Khai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,400 in Nong Khai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,040 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 71% more than Nong Khai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nong Khai are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Nong Khai 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.12 ฿102

275.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$26.85 ฿877

55.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.37 ฿208

67.03%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.57 ฿51.2

124.20%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.67 ฿21.82

125.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.35 ฿11.31

177.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.41 ฿78.8

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.74 ฿122

18.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.70 ฿55.6

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.33 ฿43.47

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.27 ฿41.33

29.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.20 ฿71.7

14.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$18.14 ฿592

-54.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.06 ฿100

172.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.74 ฿351

-0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.28 ฿107

-20.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.22 ฿39.72

19.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.88 ฿61.5

1.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.54 ฿50.3

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.49 ฿48.51

19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.26 ฿41.00

73.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.97 ฿31.75

7.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.51 ฿16.69

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.32 ฿141

-5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$14.14 ฿462

-27.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.72 ฿56.1

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.78 ฿90.7

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.88 ฿28.71

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.10 ฿36.00

196.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.15 ฿37.53

116.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.27 ฿205

-48.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.30 ฿42.38

0.77%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.4K ฿895.6K

10.42%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$27.5K ฿899.5K

-14.93%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$76.0 ฿2,483

9.00%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.95 ฿456

59.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.29 ฿597

60.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$49.53 ฿1,618

4.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$11.96 ฿391

53.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.93 ฿226

-26.84%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$297 ฿9,697

-32.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$9,614 ฿314.0K

-45.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$33.40 ฿1,091

10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.19 ฿1,117

16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$97.7 ฿3,190

-19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$71.1 ฿2,322

22.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$415 ฿13.6K

134.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$124 ฿4,056

276.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$805 ฿26.3K

103.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$657 ฿21.4K

85.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,875 ฿61.2K

110.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,438 ฿47.0K

351.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$463 ฿15.1K

43.34%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Nong Khai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $415 in Nong Khai. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Nong Khai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $244 – making Nong Khai 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 Nong Khai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 71%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,140 in Nong Khai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nong Khai, 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 $760 in Nong Khai. 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 $297 in Nong Khai. 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 Nong Khai, where all-in costs run around $760, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Nong Khai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nong Khai – 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 Nong Khai. 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.