Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Phnom Penh Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Phnom Penh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $939 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,462 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,985 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 34% more than Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Phnom Penh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Phnom Penh 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.04 ៛20.3K

137.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$29.66 ៛119.6K

40.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.97 ៛28.1K

54.23%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.61 ៛10.5K

34.10%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.03 ៛4,163

40.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.98 ៛3,965

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.48 ៛5,962

99.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.46 ៛9,919

83.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.06 ៛8,304

-30.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.47 ៛5,927

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.96 ៛3,885

63.54%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.78 ៛7,159

41.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.97 ៛52.3K

-36.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.20 ៛16.9K

100.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.26 ៛41.4K

4.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$4.46 ៛18.0K

-41.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.60 ៛6,433

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.80 ៛15.3K

-48.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.48 ៛5,953

41.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.74 ៛7,002

6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.21 ៛4,876

79.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.44 ៛5,817

-28.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.71 ៛2,879

50.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.03 ៛8,191

101.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$11.07 ៛44.6K

-8.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.05 ៛4,250

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.63 ៛6,580

55.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.54 ៛6,217

-66.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$10.57 ៛42.6K

146.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.02 ៛4,107

216.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.97 ៛3,914

148.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.62 ៛18.6K

-30.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.12 ៛4,516

17.86%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$49.3K ៛198.8M

-39.79%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$36.4K ៛146.6M

-34.95%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$104 ៛418.4K

-20.99%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.21 ៛25.0K

269.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$23.75 ៛95.8K

26.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$46.45 ៛187.2K

11.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$14.53 ៛58.6K

27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.53 ៛18.3K

9.93%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$379 ៛1.5M

-47.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$11.6K ៛46.8M

-54.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$22.08 ៛89.0K

61.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$22.04 ៛88.8K

82.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$90.9 ៛366.5K

-13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$74.4 ៛299.8K

19.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$505 ៛2.0M

87.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$276 ៛1.1M

71.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,038 ៛4.2M

58.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$551 ៛2.2M

119.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,910 ៛11.7M

39.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,520 ៛6.1M

325.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$326 ៛1.3M

100.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.3

10.87%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $505 in Phnom Penh. 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 100% 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 $30.00 in Phnom Penh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $244 – making Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 34%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,408 in Phnom Penh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 2% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $30.00 in Phnom Penh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $939, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Phnom Penh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phnom Penh – 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 Phnom Penh. 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.