Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Siem Reap Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Siem Reap

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $709 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,089 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,469 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 77% more than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Siem Reap are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Siem Reap 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.49 ៛10.0K

381.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$23.88 ៛96.2K

74.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.97 ៛28.1K

54.23%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.64 ៛6,619

113.41%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.74 ៛2,996

95.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.51 ៛2,065

72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.99 ៛3,985

197.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.93 ៛7,785

133.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.81 ៛7,300

-20.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.38 ៛5,548

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.03 ៛4,140

52.43%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.64 ៛6,596

53.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.65 ៛51.0K

-34.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.59 ៛14.5K

134.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.21 ៛41.2K

4.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.61 ៛14.5K

-27.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.12 ៛4,524

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.39 ៛13.7K

-42.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.31 ៛5,279

59.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.25 ៛5,022

48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.91 ៛3,670

138.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.30 ៛5,221

-20.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.71 ៛2,868

50.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.92 ៛7,731

113.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.40 ៛29.8K

37.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.79 ៛3,195

112.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.68 ៛6,791

50.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.02 ៛4,122

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.02 ៛4,109

216.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.98 ៛3,954

145.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.37 ៛17.6K

-26.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.13 ៛4,540

16.81%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$48.5K ៛195.4M

-38.74%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$37.3K ៛150.2M

-36.50%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$73.1 ៛294.5K

12.23%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.01 ៛24.2K

281.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$19.54 ៛78.8K

54.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$36.16 ៛145.8K

43.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$3.40 ៛13.7K

445.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.52 ៛18.2K

10.18%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$369 ៛1.5M

-46.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,081 ៛20.5M

5.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$21.85 ៛88.1K

62.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$18.00 ៛72.6K

124.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$54.3 ៛218.9K

45.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$36.15 ៛145.7K

146.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$311 ៛1.3M

204.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$222 ៛894.2K

113.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$509 ៛2.1M

223.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$331 ៛1.3M

265.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,509 ៛10.1M

61.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,069 ៛4.3M

505.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$237 ៛956.0K

175.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.2

24.13%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $311 in Siem Reap. 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 176% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Siem Reap. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $215 – making Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 77%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,063 in Siem Reap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siem Reap, 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $709 in Siem Reap. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $369 in Siem Reap. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Siem Reap, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Siem Reap it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Siem Reap – 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 Siem Reap. 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.