Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Svay Rieng Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Svay Rieng

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $574 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $908 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,242 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 119% more than Svay Rieng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Svay Rieng are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Svay Rieng 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.03 ៛8,189

490.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$30.33 ៛122.3K

37.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.82 ៛27.5K

57.62%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$0.77 ៛3,116

354.55%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.48 ៛1,939

202.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.26 ៛1,055

238.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.52 ៛6,144

94.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.47 ៛9,949

82.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.13 ៛8,595

-32.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.47 ៛5,924

25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.02 ៛4,115

53.92%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.75 ៛7,049

43.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.77 ៛51.5K

-35.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.04 ៛16.3K

108.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.19 ៛41.1K

4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$4.53 ៛18.3K

-42.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.61 ៛6,496

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.80 ៛15.3K

-48.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.48 ៛5,956

41.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.71 ៛6,879

8.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.24 ៛5,004

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.39 ៛5,595

-25.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.67 ៛2,699

59.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.02 ៛8,139

102.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.89 ៛43.9K

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.05 ៛4,234

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.69 ៛6,795

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.06 ៛4,279

204.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.02 ៛4,099

136.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.57 ៛18.4K

-29.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.18 ៛4,742

11.86%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$49.8K ៛200.7M

-40.35%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$37.4K ៛150.7M

-36.72%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$108 ៛434.4K

-23.90%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.31 ៛25.4K

263.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$22.95 ៛92.5K

31.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$25.27 ៛101.9K

105.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.40 ៛17.7K

13.18%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$378 ៛1.5M

-47.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$11.5K ៛46.5M

-53.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$22.42 ៛90.4K

58.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$22.56 ៛90.9K

78.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$89.8 ៛362.0K

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$74.9 ៛301.7K

18.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Svay Rieng: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $30.00 in Svay Rieng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $243 – making Svay Rieng 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 Svay Rieng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 119%, 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $862 in Svay Rieng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $574 in Svay Rieng. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $378 in Svay Rieng. 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 Svay Rieng, where all-in costs run around $574, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Svay Rieng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Svay Rieng – 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 Svay Rieng. 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.