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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $920 in Phitsanulok, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,490 in Phitsanulok, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,060 in Phitsanulok, rent included.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.07 ฿68.5

477.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$19.53 ฿645

142.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.62 ฿186

109.07%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.81 ฿59.9

127.62%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.78 ฿25.90

79.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.34 ฿11.39

167.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.30 ฿76.1

39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.66 ฿121

93.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.99 ฿65.6

-15.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.57 ฿52.0

36.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.36 ฿45.03

30.15%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.17 ฿71.6

29.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$16.13 ฿533

-42.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.92 ฿96.4

216.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.89 ฿327

27.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.64 ฿87.1

11.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.10 ฿36.37

43.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.57 ฿51.9

41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.47 ฿48.43

60.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.30 ฿42.81

53.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.11 ฿36.69

78.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.78 ฿25.83

58.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.53 ฿17.51

128.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$4.28 ฿142

7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$18.10 ฿598

-41.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.70 ฿56.0

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.89 ฿95.4

-4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.00 ฿33.02

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.25 ฿41.22

319.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.55 ฿18.11

563.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$2.37 ฿78.2

143.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.48 ฿48.76

4.05%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$21.5K ฿708.7K

6.30%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$27.1K ฿895.9K

-4.81%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$62.6 ฿2,067

44.93%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$13.08 ฿432

92.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$20.49 ฿677

54.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$47.44 ฿1,567

45.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$14.38 ฿475

104.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.53 ฿216

-25.57%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$785 ฿25.9K

-71.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$15.0K ฿495.6K

-72.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$56.5 ฿1,865

-16.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$25.86 ฿855

68.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$94.6 ฿3,124

-15.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$72.7 ฿2,401

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$452 ฿14.9K

140.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$307 ฿10.1K

33.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,509 ฿49.9K

30.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$826 ฿27.3K

55.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,150 ฿71.0K

88.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,545 ฿51.1K

333.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$494 ฿16.3K

56.39%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phitsanulok: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 in Phitsanulok. 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 56% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $20.00 in Phitsanulok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $242 – making Phitsanulok 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 Phitsanulok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 42% more than Phitsanulok, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,380 in Phitsanulok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phitsanulok, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $920 in Phitsanulok. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $785 in Phitsanulok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Phitsanulok, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Phitsanulok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phitsanulok costs $920 versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Phitsanulok. 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.