Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Samut Prakan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Samut Prakan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $812 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,421 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,030 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 60% more than Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Samut Prakan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Samut Prakan 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.05 ฿99.7

284.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$15.28 ฿499

172.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.72 ฿252

37.82%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.31 ฿42.91

168.70%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.62 ฿20.38

143.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.29 ฿9.63

234.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.84 ฿60.1

60.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.81 ฿124

16.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.43 ฿46.89

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.01 ฿33.07

87.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.12 ฿36.52

46.43%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.80 ฿58.8

39.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.43 ฿439

-37.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.83 ฿92.5

194.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.76 ฿352

-0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.83 ฿60.0

42.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.75 ฿24.66

94.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.81 ฿59.2

4.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.37 ฿44.89

51.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.63 ฿53.3

9.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.10 ฿35.99

99.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.78 ฿25.61

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.43 ฿13.93

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$4.76 ฿155

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$12.09 ฿395

-14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.51 ฿49.42

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.21 ฿72.3

16.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.52 ฿16.90

-1.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$31.10 ฿1,017

-14.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.11 ฿36.29

193.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.71 ฿23.18

250.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.26 ฿172

-38.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.29 ฿42.19

1.55%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$12.3K ฿402.9K

145.70%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$21.1K ฿689.5K

11.08%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$73.2 ฿2,392

13.23%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$10.91 ฿357

103.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$17.11 ฿559

71.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$46.92 ฿1,534

10.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$12.05 ฿394

52.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$6.07 ฿198

-16.47%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$383 ฿12.5K

-47.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$6,856 ฿224.1K

-23.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$19.33 ฿632

91.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$34.17 ฿1,117

16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$61.4 ฿2,006

27.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$58.0 ฿1,895

50.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$486 ฿15.9K

99.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$245 ฿8,013

90.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$803 ฿26.2K

104.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$832 ฿27.2K

46.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,755 ฿57.4K

124.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,487 ฿48.6K

336.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$651 ฿21.3K

1.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

280.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $486 in Samut Prakan. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.00 in Samut Prakan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $202 – making Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 60%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,218 in Samut Prakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samut Prakan, 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $812 in Samut Prakan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Samut Prakan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samut Prakan, where all-in costs run around $812, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Samut Prakan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samut Prakan – 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 Samut Prakan. 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.