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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $964 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,608 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,252 in Ratchaburi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Ratchaburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ratchaburi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ratchaburi 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.30 ฿110

251.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$37.24 ฿1,243

26.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.88 ฿296

33.78%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.16 ฿71.9

84.26%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.69 ฿22.95

107.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.32 ฿10.78

156.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.42 ฿80.8

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.80 ฿93.4

142.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.85 ฿61.6

-9.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.47 ฿48.96

49.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.41 ฿47.11

21.28%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.25 ฿74.9

21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$15.68 ฿523

-38.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.70 ฿90.1

233.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.39 ฿347

23.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.49 ฿117

-17.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.30 ฿43.55

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.96 ฿65.5

9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.93 ฿64.4

17.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.27 ฿42.45

55.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.06 ฿35.42

87.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.30 ฿43.42

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.46 ฿15.30

160.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.33 ฿145

5.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$18.05 ฿602

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.74 ฿58.1

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.92 ฿97.6

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.92 ฿30.80

-34.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.33 ฿44.46

305.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.10 ฿36.63

239.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$3.57 ฿119

61.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.46 ฿48.67

5.48%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$47.5K ฿1.6M

-52.49%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$27.7K ฿925.5K

-6.02%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$94.1 ฿3,141

-2.89%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$11.78 ฿393

113.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$19.21 ฿641

62.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$48.70 ฿1,625

37.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$14.01 ฿468

107.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.64 ฿255

-36.39%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$639 ฿21.3K

-65.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$14.8K ฿495.2K

-71.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$51.9 ฿1,733

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$30.42 ฿1,016

45.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$96.8 ฿3,229

-17.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$78.4 ฿2,616

18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$450 ฿15.0K

135.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$309 ฿10.3K

26.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,403 ฿46.8K

53.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$741 ฿24.7K

71.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,019 ฿67.4K

98.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,592 ฿53.1K

308.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.96

92.11%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ratchaburi: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $450 in Ratchaburi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Ratchaburi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $250 – making Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 31%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,446 in Ratchaburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ratchaburi, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $964 in Ratchaburi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $639 in Ratchaburi. 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 Ratchaburi, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Ratchaburi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ratchaburi – 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 Ratchaburi. 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.