Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Songkhla

For one person, living is cheaper in Songkhla: $837 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Songkhla
Learn more

Songkhla Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Songkhla

🇹🇭 Thailand

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Songkhla

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 Songkhla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $837 in Songkhla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Songkhla $837

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,340 in Songkhla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Songkhla $1,340

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,844 in Songkhla, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Songkhla $1,844

Playa del Carmen costs about 44% more than Songkhla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Songkhla are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Songkhla 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$1.76 ฿59.4

520.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$24.63 ฿830

76.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$4.69 ฿158

151.17%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.63 ฿54.8

133.74%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$0.67 ฿22.61

91.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.25 ฿8.47

212.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.75 ฿58.9

81.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$4.76 ฿160

3.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.59 ฿53.7

-11.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$0.85 ฿28.79

161.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$1.64 ฿55.3

-13.41%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$1.38 ฿46.58

82.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$16.82 ฿567

-56.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$2.69 ฿90.6

186.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$10.44 ฿352

21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.86 ฿96.3

-2.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.67 ฿56.3

-17.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$2.21 ฿74.3

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.26 ฿42.32

68.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$1.47 ฿49.66

31.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$1.70 ฿57.5

11.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$1.11 ฿37.39

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.91 ฿30.51

29.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$4.25 ฿143

1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$13.46 ฿453

-26.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.55 ฿52.2

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$4.59 ฿155

-41.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.86 ฿28.88

-36.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$60.7 ฿2,045

-56.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.21 ฿40.77

310.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.76 ฿25.51

338.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$5.84 ฿197

-8.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.21 ฿40.92

19.01%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$26.3K ฿887.7K

-21.55%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$31.3K ฿1.1M

-25.07%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$85.3 ฿2,873

-0.55%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$12.64 ฿426

85.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$18.03 ฿608

58.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$48.35 ฿1,629

17.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$13.08 ฿441

121.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$5.91 ฿199

-13.03%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$571 ฿19.2K

-63.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$11.0K ฿372.1K

-64.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$51.7 ฿1,741

-16.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$29.14 ฿982

42.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$76.7 ฿2,586

-3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$77.2 ฿2,602

15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$239 ฿8,043

310.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$178 ฿6,009

113.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$592 ฿19.9K

188.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$412 ฿13.9K

161.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,933 ฿65.1K

104.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$1,456 ฿49.1K

322.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$801 ฿27.0K

-8.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.33

22.72%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Songkhla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Songkhla

$178 21.3% 53.2% $203

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Songkhla

$238 28.5% 6.5% $17

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Songkhla

$70 8.3% 65.6% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Songkhla

$116 13.9% 15.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Songkhla

$106 12.6% 5.4% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Songkhla

$60 7.2% 10.6% $7.1

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Songkhla

$69 8.3% 37% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $239 in Songkhla. 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 9% higher in Songkhla, 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $25 in Songkhla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $238 – making Songkhla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇭 Songkhla

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

10:10 10:10 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

61,758

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Songkhla 16,810 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Songkhla

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 Songkhla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,255 in Songkhla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Songkhla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $837 in Songkhla. That makes Songkhla about 31% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Songkhla, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Songkhla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $837 in Songkhla to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.