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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $503 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $792 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,081 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 160% 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 5% lower, Ta Khmau 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.55 ៛10.3K

369.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$24.34 ៛98.5K

94.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.85 ៛27.7K

71.53%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.65 ៛6,686

149.70%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.67 ៛2,701

108.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.46 ៛1,844

97.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$0.98 ៛3,964

227.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.01 ៛8,158

251.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.14 ៛8,655

-21.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.64 ៛6,649

31.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.08 ៛4,389

63.89%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.65 ៛6,665

70.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$14.04 ៛56.8K

-34.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$2.62 ៛10.6K

252.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.11 ៛36.9K

38.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.03 ៛16.3K

-26.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.26 ៛5,122

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.84 ៛15.6K

-42.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.08 ៛4,387

118.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.27 ៛5,162

56.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.12 ៛4,544

76.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.14 ៛4,630

8.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.72 ៛2,935

68.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$1.54 ៛6,232

198.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.64 ៛30.9K

37.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.96 ៛3,898

76.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.73 ៛7,009

60.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.10 ៛4,439

376.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.98 ៛3,973

272.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$5.13 ៛20.8K

12.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.25 ៛5,048

23.20%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$24.7K ៛100.0M

-7.70%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$22.1K ៛89.4M

16.97%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$107 ៛435.0K

-15.58%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$6.03 ៛24.4K

317.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$14.27 ៛57.8K

122.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.13 ៛20.8K

-5.26%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$283 ៛1.1M

-20.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,367 ៛17.7M

-3.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$26.49 ៛107.3K

78.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$13.44 ៛54.4K

223.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$68.9 ៛278.9K

16.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$44.34 ៛179.6K

106.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.07

41.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ta Khmau: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Ta Khmau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $223 – 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 160%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $754 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $503 in Ta Khmau. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $283 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 $503, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.