Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Prachin Buri Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Prachin Buri

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $848 in Prachin Buri, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,421 in Prachin Buri, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,994 in Prachin Buri, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 50% more than Prachin Buri, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Prachin Buri are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Prachin Buri 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.73 ฿121

218.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$31.33 ฿1,020

36.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.48 ฿309

12.34%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.14 ฿69.7

61.21%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.86 ฿27.89

74.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.38 ฿12.30

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.42 ฿78.7

25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.42 ฿78.8

90.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.52 ฿49.49

-9.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.25 ฿40.76

48.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.02 ฿33.10

57.84%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.68 ฿54.8

54.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.58 ฿344

-21.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.67 ฿87.1

213.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.26 ฿367

-5.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.42 ฿112

-23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.78 ฿25.55

91.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.94 ฿63.3

-1.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.06 ฿34.40

97.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.17 ฿38.14

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.17 ฿38.08

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.64 ฿53.5

-35.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.38 ฿12.52

186.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.59 ฿149

-9.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.23 ฿398

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.80 ฿58.7

-4.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.29 ฿74.5

13.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.95 ฿31.07

-43.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.06 ฿34.39

195.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.35 ฿44.07

85.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.31 ฿108

-4.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.06 ฿34.58

19.81%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$26.3K ฿855.0K

15.70%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.2K ฿885.7K

-13.35%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$78.1 ฿2,543

6.29%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.64 ฿444

66.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$9.73 ฿317

202.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$48.34 ฿1,575

5.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$12.03 ฿392

52.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.75 ฿253

-36.39%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$289 ฿9,419

-31.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$9,161 ฿298.4K

-42.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$29.73 ฿968

24.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$19.40 ฿632

105.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$99.0 ฿3,224

-19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$43.02 ฿1,401

107.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$417 ฿13.6K

129.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$286 ฿9,328

66.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$798 ฿26.0K

106.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$661 ฿21.5K

85.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,160 ฿70.3K

81.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,448 ฿47.2K

346.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$465 ฿15.1K

43.41%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Prachin Buri: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $417 in Prachin Buri. 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 43% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Prachin Buri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $207 – making Prachin Buri 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 Prachin Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 50%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,272 in Prachin Buri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prachin Buri, 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $848 in Prachin Buri. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $289 in Prachin Buri. 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 Prachin Buri, where all-in costs run around $848, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Prachin Buri it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Prachin Buri – 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 Prachin Buri. 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.