Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nonthaburi Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nonthaburi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $885 in Nonthaburi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,414 in Nonthaburi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,942 in Nonthaburi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 42% more than Nonthaburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nonthaburi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nonthaburi 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.14 ฿105

273.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$21.46 ฿716

95.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.17 ฿206

70.34%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.02 ฿67.4

77.72%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.68 ฿22.81

122.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.27 ฿8.98

240.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.94 ฿64.7

52.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.72 ฿124

18.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.55 ฿51.6

-9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.40 ฿46.75

34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.25 ฿41.63

24.80%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.26 ฿75.5

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$18.61 ฿621

-55.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.73 ฿90.9

205.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.54 ฿318

13.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.58 ฿119

-24.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.71 ฿57.2

-11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.83 ฿61.1

2.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.58 ฿52.6

38.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.58 ฿52.7

17.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.42 ฿47.28

57.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.11 ฿36.93

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.50 ฿16.64

118.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.36 ฿145

-3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$14.16 ฿472

-26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.86 ฿62.1

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.26 ฿109

-19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.90 ฿29.97

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$36.27 ฿1,210

-27.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.11 ฿36.86

177.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.11 ฿37.07

116.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.24 ฿141

-26.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.33 ฿44.27

-1.50%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$37.3K ฿1.2M

-20.07%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$27.6K ฿919.2K

-15.36%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$89.1 ฿2,971

-8.75%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$12.96 ฿432

74.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$17.16 ฿572

75.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$54.5 ฿1,818

-2.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$12.40 ฿414

48.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.06 ฿202

-18.81%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$419 ฿14.0K

-52.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$13.3K ฿442.5K

-60.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$30.31 ฿1,011

18.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$38.91 ฿1,298

3.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$104 ฿3,480

-23.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$85.9 ฿2,864

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$713 ฿23.8K

37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$188 ฿6,287

149.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$840 ฿28.0K

96.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$446 ฿14.9K

169.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nonthaburi: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $713 in Nonthaburi. 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 $21.00 in Nonthaburi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $247 – making Nonthaburi 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 Nonthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 42%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,328 in Nonthaburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nonthaburi, 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $885 in Nonthaburi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Nonthaburi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nonthaburi, where all-in costs run around $885, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Nonthaburi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nonthaburi – 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 Nonthaburi. 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.