Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Prachuap Khiri Khan

For one person, living is cheaper in Prachuap Khiri Khan: $1,019 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Prachuap Khiri Khan
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Prachuap Khiri Khan Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Prachuap Khiri Khan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Prachuap Khiri Khan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Prachuap Khiri Khan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,019 in Prachuap Khiri Khan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Prachuap Khiri Khan $1,019

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,663 in Prachuap Khiri Khan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Prachuap Khiri Khan $1,663

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,307 in Prachuap Khiri Khan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Prachuap Khiri Khan $2,307

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Prachuap Khiri Khan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Prachuap Khiri Khan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Prachuap Khiri Khan 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$1.21 ฿40.87

802.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$36.43 ฿1,230

19.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$7.24 ฿245

62.71%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.82 ฿95.1

35.11%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$0.47 ฿15.85

172.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.20 ฿6.74

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.61 ฿88.3

21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$4.34 ฿147

13.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.83 ฿61.7

-22.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.48 ฿49.83

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.39 ฿46.95

2.16%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.58 ฿87.0

-2.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$17.39 ฿587

-58.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$3.58 ฿121

115.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$13.08 ฿442

-2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.74 ฿126

-25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.77 ฿59.7

-22.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.69 ฿90.9

-5.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.88 ฿63.4

12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.72 ฿58.0

12.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.55 ฿52.4

21.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.23 ฿41.43

-6.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.51 ฿17.18

131.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$4.90 ฿166

-12.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$14.64 ฿494

-32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.76 ฿59.4

-10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$3.22 ฿109

-17.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.93 ฿31.47

-40.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.02 ฿34.45

387.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.21 ฿40.99

175.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$6.11 ฿206

-12.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.36 ฿45.87

5.88%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$31.7K ฿1.1M

-34.77%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$27.0K ฿912.3K

-13.14%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$106 ฿3,575

-19.90%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$14.63 ฿494

60.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$17.87 ฿603

60.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$46.75 ฿1,579

22.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$13.48 ฿455

114.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$7.46 ฿252

-31.10%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$565 ฿19.1K

-63.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$16.8K ฿568.1K

-76.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$70.7 ฿2,388

-38.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$42.45 ฿1,433

-2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$97.7 ฿3,299

-24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$106 ฿3,565

-15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$426 ฿14.4K

130.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$305 ฿10.3K

24.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,134 ฿38.3K

50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$702 ฿23.7K

53.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,950 ฿65.8K

102.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,437 ฿48.5K

328.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$392 ฿13.2K

87.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Prachuap Khiri Khan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Prachuap Khiri Khan

$305 29.9% 19.9% $76

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Prachuap Khiri Khan

$272 26.6% 6.6% $17

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Prachuap Khiri Khan

$90 8.8% 55.7% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Prachuap Khiri Khan

$138 13.6% 1.1% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Prachuap Khiri Khan

$142 14% 27.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Prachuap Khiri Khan

$62 6.1% 8.4% $5.6

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Prachuap Khiri Khan

$11 * 1.1% 78.6% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. 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 87% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $36 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $272 in Prachuap Khiri Khan – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇭 Prachuap Khiri Khan

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

05:22 5:22 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

26,926

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Prachuap Khiri Khan 16,330 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Prachuap Khiri Khan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Prachuap Khiri Khan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,529 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prachuap Khiri Khan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,019 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. That makes Prachuap Khiri Khan about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $565 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,019 in Prachuap Khiri Khan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,019 in Prachuap Khiri Khan to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Prachuap Khiri Khan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.