Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratchaburi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratchaburi: $950 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Ratchaburi
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Ratchaburi Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Ratchaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$950

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ratchaburi and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ratchaburi and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $950 per month in Ratchaburi vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ratchaburi $950
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,553 per month in Ratchaburi vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ratchaburi $1,553
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,157 per month in Ratchaburi vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ratchaburi $2,157
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Ratchaburi is about 21% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ratchaburi and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ratchaburi 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 ฿113

$10.92 MX$203

-69.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.38 ฿1,226

$43.37 MX$805

-16.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 ฿301

$11.78 MX$219

-24.28%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ฿66.1

$3.81 MX$70.7

-48.56%

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

$0.68 ฿22.76

$1.28 MX$23.81

-46.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.56

$0.78 MX$14.54

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ฿77.1

$3.17 MX$58.8

-27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿90.8

$4.93 MX$91.7

-45.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.8

$1.41 MX$26.12

23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.86

$2.22 MX$41.17

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.07

$1.42 MX$26.32

-3.52%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.6

$2.52 MX$46.85

-13.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.62 ฿527

$7.26 MX$135

115.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.64 ฿89.0

$7.70 MX$143

-65.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ฿349

$12.69 MX$236

-18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿113

$2.78 MX$51.7

20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿40.84

$1.37 MX$25.41

-11.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 ฿63.0

$2.55 MX$47.37

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.8

$2.12 MX$39.43

-10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 ฿42.03

$1.94 MX$36.00

-35.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ฿35.30

$1.89 MX$35.02

-44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ฿42.24

$1.15 MX$21.29

8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.08

$1.18 MX$21.89

-61.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿143

$4.30 MX$79.8

-1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.14 ฿611

$9.95 MX$185

82.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿59.3

$1.58 MX$29.41

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿97.8

$2.67 MX$49.60

8.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.57

$0.55 MX$10.28

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ฿43.94

$4.97 MX$92.3

-73.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿36.63

$3.33 MX$61.9

-67.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.36 MX$99.5

-31.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.44 MX$26.82

4.17%

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

$46.0K ฿1.6M

$20.7K MX$383.8K

122.66%

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

$27.3K ฿920.8K

$23.5K MX$435.8K

16.45%

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

$91.0 ฿3,066

$84.8 MX$1,575

7.29%

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

$11.51 ฿388

$23.41 MX$435

-50.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.38 ฿653

$28.66 MX$532

-32.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.43 ฿1,565

$57.1 MX$1,059

-18.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.26 ฿447

$28.91 MX$537

-54.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 ฿260

$5.14 MX$95.4

50.00%

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

$623 ฿21.0K

$207 MX$3,836

201.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ฿479.9K

$3,927 MX$72.9K

262.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 ฿1,739

$43.35 MX$805

19.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 ฿970

$41.44 MX$770

-30.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 ฿3,145

$74.2 MX$1,378

25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 ฿2,550

$89.3 MX$1,657

-15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿14.3K

$980 MX$18.2K

-56.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ฿10.1K

$381 MX$7,072

-21.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 ฿39.5K

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-31.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 ฿23.4K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-35.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,959 ฿66.0K

$3,943 MX$73.2K

-50.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,435 ฿48.4K

$6,158 MX$114.4K

-76.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

11.45

-47.95%

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

Last update for Ratchaburi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ratchaburi

$301 31.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 26.7% $80

Groceries & Markets

Ratchaburi

$246 25.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 3.7% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratchaburi

$122 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 12.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Ratchaburi

$112 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 0.5% $0.5

Eating Out

Ratchaburi

$98 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 107% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Ratchaburi

$62 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 8.8% $5.5

Getting Around

Ratchaburi

$10 * 1.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 392% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Ratchaburi versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ratchaburi versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $255 – making Ratchaburi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Ratchaburi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

04:08 4:08 AM

12 h behind Ratchaburi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,208

149,923

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ratchaburi Playa del Carmen 16,140 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ratchaburi
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ratchaburi vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,425 per month in Ratchaburi and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ratchaburi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $424 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $950 in Ratchaburi and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Ratchaburi about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $623 per month in Ratchaburi and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $950 in Ratchaburi and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $950 in Ratchaburi to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.