Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nong Khai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nong Khai: $918 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
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Nong Khai Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Nong Khai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Nong Khai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $918 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Nong Khai $918

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,472 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Nong Khai $1,472

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,026 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Nong Khai $2,026

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Nong Khai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nong Khai are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Nong Khai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$3.03 ฿101

258.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$24.24 ฿810

82.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$7.94 ฿265

48.11%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.94 ฿64.9

89.69%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.65 ฿21.61

106.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.34 ฿11.34

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.92 ฿64.1

59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$3.24 ฿108

52.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.81 ฿60.4

-18.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.41 ฿47.15

57.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.40 ฿46.88

5.71%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.98 ฿66.0

25.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$17.41 ฿582

-56.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$2.66 ฿89.0

199.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$10.93 ฿365

15.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.72 ฿91.0

2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$0.99 ฿33.06

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.22 ฿74.1

18.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.83 ฿61.1

16.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.52 ฿50.9

32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.19 ฿39.91

67.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.13 ฿37.70

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.49 ฿16.31

144.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$4.46 ฿149

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$17.97 ฿600

-44.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.71 ฿57.2

-9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.50 ฿83.5

6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.88 ฿29.57

-39.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.11 ฿37.19

341.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.00 ฿33.56

243.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$6.74 ฿225

-20.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.38 ฿46.27

5.07%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$22.6K ฿756.9K

-6.58%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$27.9K ฿932.6K

-17.51%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$78.5 ฿2,624

8.71%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$9.94 ฿332

136.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$19.60 ฿655

45.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$47.18 ฿1,577

31.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$14.48 ฿484

98.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$7.07 ฿236

-27.86%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$515 ฿17.2K

-60.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$9,737 ฿325.4K

-59.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$51.2 ฿1,711

-13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$27.43 ฿917

50.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$65.1 ฿2,175

11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$82.1 ฿2,744

9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$387 ฿12.9K

153.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$297 ฿9,932

25.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,157 ฿38.7K

45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$669 ฿22.4K

63.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,170 ฿72.5K

82.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,538 ฿51.4K

298.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$452 ฿15.1K

63.10%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nong Khai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Nong Khai

$297 32.4% 20.3% $76

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Nong Khai

$248 27.1% 3.9% $10

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Nong Khai

$91 10% 54.4% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Nong Khai

$108 11.8% 21.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Nong Khai

$102 11.1% 9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Nong Khai

$61 6.7% 15.3% $11

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Nong Khai

$9.7 * 1.1% 81.3% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $387 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 63% 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Nong Khai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $248 – making Nong Khai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

00:29 12:29 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

35,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Nong Khai 15,600 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Nong Khai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,376 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $918 in Nong Khai. That's a gap of about 31%.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $515 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 $918, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. 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.