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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $815 in Saraburi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,507 in Saraburi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,198 in Saraburi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 59% more than Saraburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Saraburi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Saraburi 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$6.37 ฿210

83.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$27.71 ฿911

68.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$6.69 ฿220

74.14%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.26 ฿74.2

80.97%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$0.75 ฿24.61

82.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.27 ฿8.93

207.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$1.95 ฿64.2

71.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.17 ฿104

117.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.51 ฿49.50

14.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.10 ฿36.03

105.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$1.27 ฿41.70

39.37%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$2.22 ฿73.0

22.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$16.49 ฿542

-44.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$2.75 ฿90.4

224.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$10.93 ฿359

15.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$5.12 ฿168

-41.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$1.83 ฿60.2

-14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$2.30 ฿75.7

-7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$1.78 ฿58.5

26.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$1.56 ฿51.2

28.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$1.21 ฿39.79

70.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.13 ฿37.21

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.54 ฿17.67

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$4.38 ฿144

5.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$21.73 ฿714

-50.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.76 ฿57.8

-7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.97 ฿97.5

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.93 ฿30.72

-38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$1.20 ฿39.37

354.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$1.11 ฿36.48

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$3.96 ฿130

51.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.38 ฿45.43

12.32%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$24.5K ฿804.2K

-8.74%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$27.7K ฿909.2K

-6.18%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$85.0 ฿2,793

4.91%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$12.71 ฿418

97.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$17.12 ฿563

84.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$48.72 ฿1,602

39.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$14.47 ฿476

99.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$6.61 ฿217

-23.60%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$569 ฿18.7K

-60.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$6,956 ฿228.6K

-39.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$51.8 ฿1,703

-8.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$29.51 ฿970

52.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$76.5 ฿2,514

7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$77.3 ฿2,541

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$469 ฿15.4K

128.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$129 ฿4,233

214.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,246 ฿41.0K

55.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$714 ฿23.5K

82.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$1,989 ฿65.4K

100.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,635 ฿53.7K

305.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$461 ฿15.2K

62.39%

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Saraburi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $469 in Saraburi. 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 62% 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 $28.00 in Saraburi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $267 – making Saraburi 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 Saraburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 59%, 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 $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,222 in Saraburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saraburi, 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $815 in Saraburi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $569 in Saraburi. 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 Saraburi, where all-in costs run around $815, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Saraburi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saraburi – 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 Saraburi. 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.