Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Thimphu Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Thimphu

😐 Solo nomad: Playa del Carmen is 81.1% more expensive than Thimphu without rent, and 167.7% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Playa del Carmen is 63.3% more expensive than Thimphu without rent, and 197.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.61 MX$200
$2.95 BTN 274
293.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.75 MX$738
$17.81 BTN 1,655
140.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.60 MX$183
$3.60 BTN 335
194.44%
Cappuccino
$3.59 MX$62.0
$1.46 BTN 136
145.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 MX$25.08
$0.48 BTN 44.94
202.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 MX$15.50
$0.17 BTN 15.40
429.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.03 MX$52.4
$2.99 BTN 278
1.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 MX$78.8
$2.38 BTN 221
91.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$25.07
$0.80 BTN 74.4
81.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.83 MX$31.55
$0.94 BTN 87.8
94.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 MX$27.77
$0.68 BTN 63.5
136.76%
Eggs
$2.54 MX$43.82
$1.97 BTN 183
28.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.54 MX$148
$3.37 BTN 313
153.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.47 MX$146
$3.95 BTN 367
114.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.86 MX$188
$4.34 BTN 403
150.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 MX$47.13
$2.55 BTN 237
7.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 MX$25.77
$1.45 BTN 135
2.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 MX$33.55
$1.84 BTN 170
5.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 MX$37.38
$0.78 BTN 72.8
176.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 MX$31.88
$0.52 BTN 48.67
255.77%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 MX$37.80
$0.61 BTN 56.6
259.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 MX$18.52
$0.45 BTN 41.85
137.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 MX$18.71
$0.32 BTN 29.44
237.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.06 MX$70.1
$3.76 BTN 349
7.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.46 MX$181
$3.24 BTN 301
222.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$28.56
$0.59 BTN 54.9
179.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 MX$44.01
$1.03 BTN 96.1
147.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.56 MX$9.60
$1.78 BTN 165
-68.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.20 MX$453
$3.96 BTN 368
561.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 MX$54.2
$0.90 BTN 83.6
248.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.37 MX$40.96
$2.25 BTN 209
5.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 MX$56.0
$0.15 BTN 14.28
2060.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 MX$22.70
$0.92 BTN 85.2
42.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.5K MX$527.4K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$411.4K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.1 MX$1,436
$22.68 BTN 2,107
266.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.15 MX$383
$38.19 BTN 3,548
-42.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.37 MX$507
$26.71 BTN 2,481
9.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.2 MX$884
$48.39 BTN 4,496
5.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.69 MX$323
$7.45 BTN 692
150.87%
Cinema Ticket
$4.89 MX$84.4
$3.60 BTN 334
35.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$199 MX$3,431
$240 BTN 22.3K
-17.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,207 MX$89.9K
$678 BTN 63.0K
667.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.93 MX$621
$9.50 BTN 882
278.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.39 MX$680
$11.49 BTN 1,068
242.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.3 MX$1,387
$32.45 BTN 3,015
147.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.6 MX$1,512
$31.74 BTN 2,949
175.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$963 MX$16.6K
$118 BTN 10.9K
719.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$482 MX$8,326
$63.4 BTN 5,888
660.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,645 MX$28.4K
$199 BTN 18.5K
725.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,192 MX$20.6K
$138 BTN 12.8K
765.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,957 MX$68.3K
$635 BTN 59.0K
522.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,513 MX$112.5K
$258 BTN 24.0K
2424.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Thimphu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$726 MX$12.5K
$517 BTN 48.0K
40.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
10.75
6.23%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Thimphu: April 13, 2026

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 other spots: cost of living compared

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