Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ta Khmau Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ta Khmau

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $456 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $743 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,031 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 184% more than Ta Khmau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ta Khmau are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ta Khmau 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.47 ៛9,900

374.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$24.09 ៛96.6K

72.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.19 ៛28.9K

47.98%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.62 ៛6,484

117.28%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.73 ៛2,937

106.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.48 ៛1,923

102.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.98 ៛3,912

201.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.92 ៛7,704

131.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.82 ៛7,300

-24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.37 ៛5,513

37.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.96 ៛3,846

70.83%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.64 ៛6,566

53.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.07 ៛52.4K

-36.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$3.60 ៛14.4K

131.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.32 ៛41.4K

3.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$3.57 ៛14.3K

-27.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.13 ៛4,538

29.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$3.38 ៛13.6K

-43.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$1.32 ៛5,281

57.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.30 ៛5,234

36.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.89 ៛3,574

146.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.36 ៛5,475

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.68 ៛2,714

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$1.83 ៛7,340

122.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$7.49 ៛30.0K

37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.80 ៛3,191

113.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.69 ៛6,762

52.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.07 ៛4,303

204.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.97 ៛3,892

156.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$4.48 ៛18.0K

-27.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.12 ៛4,480

16.96%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$49.4K ៛198.3M

-38.75%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$37.0K ៛148.2M

-36.59%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$74.0 ៛296.6K

12.06%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$6.05 ៛24.3K

267.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$19.89 ៛79.8K

47.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.45 ៛17.9K

13.93%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$366 ៛1.5M

-45.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$5,076 ៛20.4M

2.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$22.06 ៛88.5K

67.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$18.39 ៛73.8K

116.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$55.8 ៛223.7K

40.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$36.14 ៛145.0K

140.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.2

24.13%

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 Ta Khmau: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Ta Khmau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $217 – making Ta Khmau 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 Ta Khmau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 184%, 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 $684 in Ta Khmau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Ta Khmau. 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 $366 in Ta Khmau. 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 Ta Khmau, where all-in costs run around $456, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Ta Khmau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ta Khmau – 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 Ta Khmau. 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.