Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ubon Ratchathani Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ubon Ratchathani

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $790 in Ubon Ratchathani, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,158 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,425 in Ubon Ratchathani, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,060 in Ubon Ratchathani, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 60% more than Ubon Ratchathani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$3.01 ฿96.6

285.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$24.29 ฿779

76.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$6.39 ฿205

65.88%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.86 ฿59.5

93.01%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$1.06 ฿34.00

36.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.49 ฿15.82

83.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.53 ฿81.1

19.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$2.84 ฿91.2

60.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.74 ฿55.9

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.33 ฿42.61

37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$1.31 ฿42.15

22.90%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$2.16 ฿69.2

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$18.38 ฿589

-53.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.09 ฿99.0

174.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.60 ฿340

2.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$3.10 ฿99.4

-11.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.26 ฿40.55

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.89 ฿60.6

2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.59 ฿50.9

35.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$1.48 ฿47.30

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.21 ฿38.65

80.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$1.03 ฿32.96

3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.48 ฿15.34

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$4.19 ฿134

-3.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$13.98 ฿448

-25.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$1.72 ฿55.1

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$2.67 ฿85.6

-4.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.95 ฿30.51

-41.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.11 ฿35.49

182.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$1.15 ฿36.74

106.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$6.17 ฿198

-47.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.28 ฿41.11

2.34%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$27.7K ฿888.5K

10.19%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$27.0K ฿865.8K

-11.78%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$75.9 ฿2,432

9.60%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$13.05 ฿418

69.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$15.08 ฿483

94.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$49.50 ฿1,587

3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$12.28 ฿394

52.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$6.91 ฿222

-29.23%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$294 ฿9,438

-32.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$9,474 ฿303.7K

-45.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$33.84 ฿1,085

6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$34.40 ฿1,103

14.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$97.4 ฿3,122

-17.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$70.6 ฿2,264

24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$242 ฿7,750

298.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$166 ฿5,307

191.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$809 ฿25.9K

103.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$652 ฿20.9K

82.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$2,288 ฿73.4K

72.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$1,520 ฿48.7K

328.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$400 ฿12.8K

81.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.45

109.54%

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 Ubon Ratchathani: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $242 in Ubon Ratchathani. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 82% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $24 in Ubon Ratchathani. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $244 – making Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 60%, 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 $1,894 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,185 in Ubon Ratchathani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani, 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 $1,262 in Playa del Carmen and $790 in Ubon Ratchathani. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $199 per month in Playa del Carmen and $294 in Ubon Ratchathani. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ubon Ratchathani, where all-in costs run around $790, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,262. In Ubon Ratchathani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ubon Ratchathani – 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 Ubon Ratchathani. 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.