Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Surat Thani Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Surat Thani

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $806 in Surat Thani, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,435 in Surat Thani, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,063 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 61% more than Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surat Thani are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Surat Thani 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$1.94 ฿63.9

503.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$18.12 ฿596

157.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.48 ฿147

160.04%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.52 ฿49.93

169.08%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.48 ฿15.69

185.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.30 ฿9.85

176.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.51 ฿82.6

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.74 ฿123

84.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.84 ฿60.6

-5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.22 ฿39.99

85.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.21 ฿39.67

46.28%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$1.95 ฿64.0

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$19.59 ฿644

-53.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$3.53 ฿116

152.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$7.72 ฿254

63.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.93 ฿96.4

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$1.65 ฿54.2

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$1.79 ฿58.8

18.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$2.20 ฿72.3

2.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.34 ฿44.19

49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.41 ฿46.45

46.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.15 ฿37.75

2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.41 ฿13.49

192.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.04 ฿99.8

52.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$19.08 ฿628

-43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.57 ฿51.5

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.79 ฿58.9

60.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.08 ฿35.58

-47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$21.27 ฿699

40.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.19 ฿39.24

357.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.63 ฿20.82

487.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$3.62 ฿119

65.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.25 ฿41.17

24.00%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$27.0K ฿888.9K

-17.41%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$27.7K ฿909.4K

-6.18%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$76.1 ฿2,502

17.14%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$11.50 ฿378

117.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$17.44 ฿573

80.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$48.94 ฿1,609

38.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$14.57 ฿479

98.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$4.55 ฿150

10.99%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$574 ฿18.9K

-60.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$11.7K ฿385.0K

-63.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$65.0 ฿2,138

-27.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$29.70 ฿976

51.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$97.6 ฿3,208

-15.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$88.8 ฿2,920

3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$241 ฿7,926

343.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$152 ฿5,002

166.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,240 ฿40.8K

56.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$715 ฿23.5K

81.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,026 ฿66.6K

97.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,621 ฿53.3K

308.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $241 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.00 in Surat Thani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $251 – making Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 61%, 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 $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,209 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $806 in Surat Thani. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 40% 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 $806, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. 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.