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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $882 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,412 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,942 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Samut Sakhon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Samut Sakhon are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Samut Sakhon 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$1.81 ฿61.2

560.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$18.22 ฿615

130.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.11 ฿206

70.54%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.25 ฿42.34

180.80%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.36 ฿12.10

322.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.32 ฿10.87

184.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.90 ฿64.0

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$2.47 ฿83.4

76.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.68 ฿56.7

-15.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.35 ฿45.66

35.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.33 ฿44.81

22.56%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$2.28 ฿77.0

11.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$15.49 ฿523

-44.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.37 ฿114

151.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$11.09 ฿374

-2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$3.25 ฿110

-15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.34 ฿45.26

7.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$1.88 ฿63.5

0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.39 ฿47.00

56.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$1.52 ฿51.2

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$1.21 ฿40.98

83.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$1.71 ฿57.6

-37.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.58 ฿19.44

86.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$4.67 ฿158

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$16.14 ฿545

-35.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.84 ฿62.0

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

$2.32 ฿78.2

11.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.37 ฿12.54

37.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.06 ฿35.74

202.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$1.23 ฿41.49

103.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$3.35 ฿113

-4.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.24 ฿41.93

1.61%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$26.3K ฿887.1K

12.96%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$27.3K ฿919.7K

-13.09%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$79.7 ฿2,689

2.96%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$14.05 ฿474

61.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$18.73 ฿632

57.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$48.68 ฿1,643

7.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$12.26 ฿414

50.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$7.61 ฿257

-35.22%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$298 ฿10.0K

-32.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$9,287 ฿313.4K

-43.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$29.93 ฿1,010

20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$19.67 ฿664

105.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$101 ฿3,407

-20.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$43.67 ฿1,474

104.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$425 ฿14.3K

123.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$289 ฿9,738

61.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$827 ฿27.9K

97.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$661 ฿22.3K

80.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$1,908 ฿64.4K

106.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,439 ฿48.6K

346.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Samut Sakhon: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $425 in Samut Sakhon. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Samut Sakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $247 – making Samut Sakhon 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 Sakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,323 in Samut Sakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samut Sakhon, 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 $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $882 in Samut Sakhon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $298 in Samut Sakhon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Samut Sakhon, where all-in costs run around $882, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Samut Sakhon 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 Sakhon – 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 Sakhon. 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.