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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Monthly costs are close between Playa del Carmen and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$4.55 ฿153

163.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$727

$46.18 ฿1,557

-9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.84 ฿298

21.61%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.8

$3.06 ฿103

14.38%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.73 ฿24.46

98.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.40

$0.40 ฿13.42

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.43 ฿82.0

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.5

$3.78 ฿127

19.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.92

$2.26 ฿76.2

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.98

$1.81 ฿61.0

1.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.30

$2.25 ฿76.0

-30.22%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.72

$2.25 ฿75.7

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$19.51 ฿658

-57.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.65 ฿123

130.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.05 ฿440

-18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.40

$3.23 ฿109

-19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.03

$1.62 ฿54.5

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.15

$2.38 ฿80.3

-17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.45

$2.03 ฿68.3

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.22

$1.53 ฿51.7

20.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.72

$1.50 ฿50.6

44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.95

$0.98 ฿32.99

5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.69

$0.52 ฿17.43

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.44 ฿150

-7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$18.32 ฿618

-44.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.15

$1.86 ฿62.8

-9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$2.68 ฿90.4

-5.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.86

$1.41 ฿47.57

-63.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$11.70 ฿394

122.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.11 ฿105

3.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.86

$1.04 ฿35.14

131.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$14.11 ฿476

-77.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.99

$1.31 ฿44.20

0.76%

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

$29.7K MX$516.8K

$27.8K ฿937.7K

6.76%

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

$23.7K MX$411.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-28.76%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$122 ฿4,127

-33.02%

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

$22.95 MX$399

$13.59 ฿458

68.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$18.70 ฿630

61.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$904

$60.5 ฿2,039

-14.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$322

$16.98 ฿573

9.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$9.07 ฿306

-45.09%

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

$197 MX$3,436

$706 ฿23.8K

-72.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$15.8K ฿532.8K

-66.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$619

$58.6 ฿1,974

-39.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$35.36 ฿1,192

14.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,370

$115 ฿3,892

-31.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,548

$83.7 ฿2,823

6.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$626 ฿21.1K

51.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,249

$445 ฿15.0K

6.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$2,040 ฿68.8K

-19.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,492 ฿50.3K

-18.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,483 ฿117.4K

16.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.6K

$2,577 ฿86.9K

151.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$500 ฿16.8K

30.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.33

114.26%

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 Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $289 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 31% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.