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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $882 in Phetchabun, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,456 in Phetchabun, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,030 in Phetchabun, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 47% more than Phetchabun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Phetchabun are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Phetchabun 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.87 ฿61.2

527.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$27.86 ฿910

49.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.51 ฿212

63.44%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.27 ฿41.37

177.17%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.72 ฿23.47

109.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.24 ฿7.85

304.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.45 ฿80.0

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.66 ฿120

21.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.70 ฿55.5

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.33 ฿43.57

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.26 ฿41.10

30.16%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.14 ฿70.0

17.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$18.70 ฿611

-55.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.96 ฿96.6

181.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.58 ฿346

1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.22 ฿105

-19.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.27 ฿41.36

14.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.89 ฿61.7

0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.51 ฿49.44

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.49 ฿48.60

19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.21 ฿39.38

80.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.98 ฿32.06

6.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.48 ฿15.64

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.45 ฿145

-8.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$15.35 ฿501

-32.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.82 ฿59.3

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.75 ฿90.0

-6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.90 ฿29.45

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.09 ฿35.75

199.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.18 ฿38.55

111.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.01 ฿196

-45.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.23 ฿40.26

6.50%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.9K ฿910.1K

8.66%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$27.7K ฿904.0K

-15.35%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$77.6 ฿2,533

6.86%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.91 ฿454

59.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.85 ฿616

55.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$48.94 ฿1,598

5.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$12.38 ฿404

47.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.89 ฿225

-26.42%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$296 ฿9,668

-32.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$9,735 ฿318.0K

-46.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$33.96 ฿1,109

8.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$34.20 ฿1,117

16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$101 ฿3,303

-22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$70.8 ฿2,311

23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$429 ฿14.0K

126.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$281 ฿9,190

66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$799 ฿26.1K

105.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$646 ฿21.1K

88.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,725 ฿56.4K

128.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,300 ฿42.4K

399.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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 Phetchabun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $429 in Phetchabun. 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 $28.00 in Phetchabun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $247 – making Phetchabun 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 Phetchabun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $882 in Phetchabun – roughly 47% 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 $1,323 in Phetchabun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phetchabun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $28.00 in Phetchabun. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Phetchabun, where all-in costs run around $882, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Phetchabun 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 $882 in Phetchabun 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 Phetchabun. 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.