Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Si Sa Ket Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Si Sa Ket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $903 in Si Sa Ket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,498 in Si Sa Ket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,093 in Si Sa Ket, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 39% more than Si Sa Ket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Si Sa Ket are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Si Sa Ket 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$3.09 ฿104

286.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$27.60 ฿930

51.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$6.19 ฿209

68.34%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$2.07 ฿69.9

69.57%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.68 ฿22.77

123.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$0.34 ฿11.54

167.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$2.51 ฿84.5

21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

$3.76 ฿127

16.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.76 ฿59.4

-19.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$1.39 ฿46.71

31.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.27 ฿42.65

28.35%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$2.21 ฿74.5

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$18.33 ฿618

-53.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$3.09 ฿104

174.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$10.87 ฿366

-0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$3.26 ฿110

-15.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$1.26 ฿42.34

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.84

$1.91 ฿64.4

-1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$1.52 ฿51.1

42.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$1.52 ฿51.2

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$1.27 ฿42.68

74.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.97 ฿32.83

10.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.48 ฿16.04

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$4.47 ฿151

-7.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$14.91 ฿503

-29.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$1.72 ฿57.9

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.93

$2.76 ฿93.1

-6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.93 ฿31.35

-45.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$1.07 ฿35.96

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$1.18 ฿39.88

111.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$6.08 ฿205

-47.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$1.27 ฿42.83

-0.79%

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

$29.7K MX$516.7K

$28.3K ฿952.4K

5.08%

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

$23.7K MX$412.2K

$27.6K ฿931.4K

-14.28%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$77.2 ฿2,602

6.27%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$13.60 ฿459

67.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$18.24 ฿615

61.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$49.83 ฿1,680

4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$12.42 ฿419

48.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$6.94 ฿234

-28.96%

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

$202 MX$3,512

$296 ฿9,966

-31.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$9,744 ฿328.5K

-46.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$33.44 ฿1,127

7.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$34.29 ฿1,156

17.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$97.5 ฿3,286

-18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$69.7 ฿2,350

28.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$422 ฿14.2K

124.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,098

$283 ฿9,526

64.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$812 ฿27.4K

100.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$644 ฿21.7K

85.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.5K

$2,136 ฿72.0K

84.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$1,345 ฿45.4K

377.82%

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 Si Sa Ket: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $422 in Si Sa Ket. 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 $28.00 in Si Sa Ket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $248 – making Si Sa Ket 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 Si Sa Ket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 39%, 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 $1,354 in Si Sa Ket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Si Sa Ket, 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 $903 in Si Sa Ket. 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 $296 in Si Sa Ket. 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 Si Sa Ket, where all-in costs run around $903, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Si Sa Ket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Si Sa Ket – 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 Si Sa Ket. 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.