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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $923 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,513 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,103 in Samut Sakhon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 41% 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 5% lower, Samut Sakhon 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$1.78 ฿59.0

571.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$18.52 ฿612

155.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$5.79 ฿191

102.94%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$1.20 ฿39.66

243.33%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$0.38 ฿12.72

268.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.29 ฿9.57

213.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$1.95 ฿64.4

64.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.81 ฿92.9

151.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.84 ฿60.7

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.44 ฿47.77

49.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.43 ฿47.45

23.78%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$2.25 ฿74.4

25.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.46 ฿511

-40.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.64 ฿87.3

249.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$10.23 ฿338

23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.60 ฿119

-18.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.29 ฿42.71

22.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.96 ฿64.8

13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.99 ฿65.8

18.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$1.26 ฿41.66

57.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.09 ฿36.21

81.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.26 ฿41.65

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.49 ฿16.14

146.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$4.53 ฿150

1.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$18.09 ฿598

-41.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.79 ฿59.3

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$3.05 ฿101

-9.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.40 ฿13.15

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$1.04 ฿34.48

403.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$1.15 ฿37.87

217.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$3.69 ฿122

56.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.19 ฿39.26

29.41%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$46.7K ฿1.5M

-51.21%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$26.8K ฿886.6K

-3.72%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$95.5 ฿3,159

-5.07%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$12.00 ฿397

109.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$19.69 ฿651

61.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$48.77 ฿1,613

41.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$14.37 ฿475

104.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$7.65 ฿253

-36.47%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$644 ฿21.3K

-64.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$14.8K ฿490.5K

-71.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$51.1 ฿1,688

-7.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$30.22 ฿999

43.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$98.3 ฿3,251

-18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$76.4 ฿2,528

19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$407 ฿13.4K

166.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$303 ฿10.0K

35.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,583 ฿52.3K

24.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$728 ฿24.1K

76.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$2,235 ฿73.9K

81.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$1,700 ฿56.2K

294.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 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 7, 2026

Last update for Samut Sakhon: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $407 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Samut Sakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $249 – 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 41%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,384 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $923 in Samut Sakhon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $644 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 $923, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.