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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $720 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,073 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,426 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 80% 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 3% lower, Siem Reap 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.54 ៛10.2K

361.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$24.11 ៛96.7K

72.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.92 ៛27.8K

53.76%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.67 ៛6,703

110.78%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.69 ៛2,761

118.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.51 ៛2,054

90.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.98 ៛3,928

201.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.93 ៛7,726

130.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.81 ៛7,254

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.38 ៛5,533

36.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.03 ៛4,141

59.22%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.62 ៛6,481

54.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.00 ៛52.1K

-35.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.64 ៛14.6K

129.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.42 ៛41.8K

2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$3.65 ៛14.6K

-28.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.07 ៛4,304

36.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$3.43 ៛13.8K

-44.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.31 ៛5,264

58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.24 ៛4,972

43.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.95 ៛3,811

130.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.36 ៛5,458

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.67 ៛2,675

61.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.91 ៛7,644

113.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$7.46 ៛29.9K

38.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.73 ៛2,927

134.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.68 ៛6,724

53.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$1.01 ៛4,057

-49.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.03 ៛4,150

216.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.98 ៛3,944

154.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$4.60 ៛18.4K

-29.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.08 ៛4,316

21.30%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$49.0K ៛196.5M

-38.18%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$37.0K ៛148.2M

-36.59%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$73.1 ៛293.3K

13.35%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$6.13 ៛24.6K

262.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$19.40 ៛77.8K

51.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$36.31 ៛145.6K

42.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$3.52 ៛14.1K

420.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.46 ៛17.9K

13.68%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$375 ៛1.5M

-46.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$4,917 ៛19.7M

5.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$22.56 ៛90.5K

63.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$18.51 ៛74.3K

114.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$54.1 ៛217.1K

44.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$36.22 ៛145.3K

140.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$315 ៛1.3M

209.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$216 ៛866.4K

116.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$497 ៛2.0M

230.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$319 ៛1.3M

282.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,470 ៛9.9M

59.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,106 ៛4.4M

487.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$239 ៛957.7K

178.10%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 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 178% 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 $217 – 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 80%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,080 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $720 in Siem Reap. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $375 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 $720, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.