Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Si Racha

For one person, living is cheaper in Si Racha: $991 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Si Racha
🇹🇭 Thailand
$991
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Si Racha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Si Racha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $991 in Si Racha, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Si Racha $991

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,629 in Si Racha, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Si Racha $1,629

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,266 in Si Racha, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Si Racha $2,266

Playa del Carmen costs about 22% more than Si Racha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Si Racha are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Si Racha 27% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$3.03 ฿101
255.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$36.17 ฿1,209
18.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$6.92 ฿231
70.38%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$2.77 ฿92.7
39.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$0.64 ฿21.33
114.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$0.30 ฿9.98
180.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$2.35 ฿78.4
31.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$2.65 ฿88.6
91.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.78 ฿59.4
-19.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$1.47 ฿49.23
51.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.33 ฿44.55
10.53%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$2.14 ฿71.5
18.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$15.56 ฿520
-53.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$2.60 ฿86.8
202.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$10.12 ฿338
26.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$3.49 ฿117
-16.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$1.19 ฿39.87
21.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$1.84 ฿61.5
38.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$1.97 ฿65.8
4.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$1.19 ฿39.88
68.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$1.08 ฿35.95
86.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$1.21 ฿40.49
-1.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.47 ฿15.74
168.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$4.21 ฿141
4.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$15.06 ฿503
-36.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$1.69 ฿56.3
-5.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$2.98 ฿99.6
-5.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$0.93 ฿31.07
-38.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$35.08 ฿1,173
-20.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$1.07 ฿35.63
365.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$1.11 ฿37.22
215.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$3.47 ฿116
55.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$1.38 ฿45.96
6.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$30.9K ฿1.0M
-32.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$26.4K ฿881.9K
-9.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$103 ฿3,442
-18.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$11.66 ฿390
105.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$18.99 ฿635
52.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$47.29 ฿1,580
33.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
$14.00 ฿468
108.14%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$7.53 ฿252
-34.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$575 ฿19.2K
-64.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$14.3K ฿477.3K
-72.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$51.2 ฿1,712
-14.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$29.13 ฿974
48.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$94.9 ฿3,172
-20.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$74.7 ฿2,497
18.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$453 ฿15.2K
122.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$299 ฿9,987
25.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$1,353 ฿45.2K
26.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$727 ฿24.3K
52.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
$1,933 ฿64.6K
104.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
$1,589 ฿53.1K
288.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Si Racha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$1,022 ฿34.1K
-26.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.25
118.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Si Racha: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Si Racha
$299 20.1% $75
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Si Racha
$239 7.5% $19
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Si Racha
$99 51% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Si Racha
$134 2.6% $3.6
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Si Racha
$112 0.4% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Si Racha
$62 14.4% $11
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Si Racha
$45 13.5% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $453 in Si Racha. 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 35% higher in Si Racha, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Si Racha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $239 – making Si Racha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇹🇭 Si Racha
🕒 Local time
10:48 10:48 AM
22:48 10:48 PM
12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
19,444
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Si Racha 16,160 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Si Racha

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Si Racha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Si Racha cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,486 in Si Racha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Si Racha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Si Racha?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $991 in Si Racha. That's a gap of about 22%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 26% less in Si Racha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Si Racha?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Si Racha, where all-in costs run around $991, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Si Racha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Si Racha more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Si Racha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Si Racha?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Si Racha. 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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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