Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Surat Thani

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $776 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
Learn more

Surat Thani Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Surat Thani

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $776 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Surat Thani $776

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,431 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Surat Thani $1,431

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,085 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Surat Thani $2,085

Playa del Carmen costs about 56% more than Surat Thani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surat Thani are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Surat Thani 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$1.83 ฿61.1

487.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$17.53 ฿586

145.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$4.57 ฿153

157.99%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$1.50 ฿50.2

158.00%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.47 ฿15.69

191.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.31 ฿10.48

170.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$2.46 ฿82.2

26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$3.63 ฿121

39.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.72 ฿57.6

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$1.18 ฿39.29

88.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.18 ฿39.29

24.58%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.92 ฿64.1

31.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$19.57 ฿654

-62.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$3.43 ฿115

129.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$7.41 ฿248

72.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$2.86 ฿95.5

1.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.62 ฿54.1

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.76 ฿58.7

44.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$2.07 ฿69.1

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.32 ฿43.97

51.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$1.34 ฿44.78

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$1.11 ฿37.18

7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.41 ฿13.55

207.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$2.90 ฿96.9

51.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$18.56 ฿620

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.57 ฿52.6

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.77 ฿59.2

58.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$1.06 ฿35.52

-46.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$21.16 ฿707

31.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$3.06 ฿102

62.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.67 ฿22.44

422.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$3.53 ฿118

52.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.16 ฿38.67

26.72%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$27.1K ฿905.4K

-22.54%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$26.4K ฿882.8K

-9.50%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$74.2 ฿2,478

13.57%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$11.30 ฿378

112.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$17.34 ฿579

67.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$47.81 ฿1,598

31.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$14.28 ฿477

104.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$4.53 ฿151

9.05%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$555 ฿18.6K

-63.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$11.6K ฿387.6K

-66.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$63.0 ฿2,106

-30.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$28.85 ฿964

49.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$96.3 ฿3,220

-21.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$88.9 ฿2,970

-0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$230 ฿7,695

337.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$146 ฿4,879

156.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$1,391 ฿46.5K

22.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$731 ฿24.4K

51.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$1,907 ฿63.7K

106.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$1,604 ฿53.6K

284.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.57

105.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Surat Thani

$146 18.8% 61% $228

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Surat Thani

$245 31.6% 5.1% $13

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Surat Thani

$69 8.9% 65.9% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Surat Thani

$103 13.2% 25.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Surat Thani

$125 16.1% 10.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Surat Thani

$57 7.3% 22% $16

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Surat Thani

$32 4.1% 39.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $230 in Surat Thani. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Surat Thani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $245 – making Surat Thani the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

13:44 1:44 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

132,040

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Surat Thani 16,630 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Surat Thani

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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,165 in Surat Thani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat Thani, 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 $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $776 in Surat Thani. That's a gap of about 56%.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Surat Thani. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat Thani, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Surat Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surat Thani – 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 Surat Thani. 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.