Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sakon Nakhon Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sakon Nakhon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $878 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,396 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,914 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 44% more than Sakon Nakhon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sakon Nakhon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Sakon Nakhon 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$1.55 ฿51.6

648.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$15.31 ฿509

207.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$3.03 ฿101

292.08%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.48 ฿49.06

168.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.74 ฿24.66

93.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.27 ฿9.03

203.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.12 ฿70.6

50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.09 ฿69.5

224.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.48 ฿82.5

-32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.33 ฿44.32

65.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.55 ฿51.4

10.32%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.12 ฿70.5

29.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$10.80 ฿359

-11.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.49 ฿82.9

261.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$10.38 ฿345

23.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.21 ฿107

-9.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.23 ฿40.75

21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.14 ฿71.3

0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.92 ฿64.0

17.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.47 ฿48.80

34.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.45 ฿48.22

37.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.51 ฿16.96

141.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.49 ฿16.32

144.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.29 ฿142

6.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$16.37 ฿544

-36.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.69 ฿56.2

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.78 ฿92.3

3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.89 ฿29.63

-32.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.54 ฿51.0

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.02 ฿34.03

265.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$4.71 ฿157

22.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.33 ฿44.23

15.79%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$26.8K ฿892.2K

-15.96%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$30.2K ฿1.0M

-13.72%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$83.0 ฿2,761

10.04%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$9.96 ฿331

153.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$15.87 ฿528

96.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$46.66 ฿1,551

44.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$14.00 ฿466

107.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$3.70 ฿123

31.35%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$487 ฿16.2K

-54.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$9,693 ฿322.3K

-56.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$19.92 ฿662

136.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$6.89 ฿229

542.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$122 ฿4,067

-34.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$74.1 ฿2,465

25.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$450 ฿15.0K

136.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$299 ฿9,927

30.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,216 ฿40.4K

76.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$646 ฿21.5K

97.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,882 ฿62.6K

112.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,761 ฿58.6K

269.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$745 ฿24.8K

1.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.57

105.57%

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 Sakon Nakhon: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $450 in Sakon Nakhon. 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 2% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $232 – making Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 44%, 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 $1,316 in Sakon Nakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakon Nakhon, 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 $878 in Sakon Nakhon. 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 $487 in Sakon Nakhon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sakon Nakhon, where all-in costs run around $878, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Sakon Nakhon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sakon Nakhon – 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 Sakon Nakhon. 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.