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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $920 in Sihanoukville, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,398 in Sihanoukville, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,876 in Sihanoukville, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 41% more than Sihanoukville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sihanoukville are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Sihanoukville 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.07 ៛16.4K

188.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$27.07 ៛108.9K

53.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.91 ៛27.8K

53.98%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.54 ៛10.2K

38.58%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.84 ៛3,377

79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.43 ៛1,731

125.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.99 ៛3,964

197.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.96 ៛7,876

127.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.15 ៛8,653

-35.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.46 ៛5,889

29.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.94 ៛3,767

74.47%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.77 ៛7,116

41.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.01 ៛52.3K

-35.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.18 ៛16.8K

99.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.25 ៛37.2K

16.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.60 ៛14.5K

-27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.38 ៛5,541

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$3.87 ៛15.5K

-50.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.53 ៛6,166

35.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.31 ៛5,283

35.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.14 ៛4,585

92.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.39 ៛5,578

-25.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.67 ៛2,710

61.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.53 ៛6,159

166.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.15 ៛44.8K

-7.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.96 ៛3,850

78.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.62 ៛6,507

59.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.08 ៛4,344

201.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.98 ៛3,950

154.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$4.47 ៛18.0K

-27.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.17 ៛4,693

11.97%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$48.0K ៛193.1M

-36.95%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$36.7K ៛147.4M

-36.10%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$105 ៛421.8K

-20.99%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$6.26 ៛25.2K

254.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$18.96 ៛76.3K

54.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$72.9 ៛293.1K

-29.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$9.98 ៛40.1K

83.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.62 ៛18.6K

9.74%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$331 ៛1.3M

-39.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,988 ៛20.1M

4.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$22.40 ៛90.1K

64.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$19.63 ៛78.9K

102.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$91.2 ៛366.9K

-14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$20.02 ៛80.5K

335.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$408 ៛1.6M

138.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$296 ៛1.2M

58.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$647 ៛2.6M

153.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$495 ៛2.0M

146.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.3

10.87%

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 Sihanoukville: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $408 in Sihanoukville. 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 $27.00 in Sihanoukville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $234 – making Sihanoukville 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 Sihanoukville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 41%, 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 $1,379 in Sihanoukville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sihanoukville, 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 $920 in Sihanoukville. 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 $331 in Sihanoukville. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sihanoukville, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Sihanoukville it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sihanoukville – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sihanoukville. 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.