Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rayong and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Rayong: $940 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Rayong
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Rayong Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Rayong

🇹🇭 Thailand

$940

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rayong 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 Rayong and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $940 per month in Rayong vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rayong $940
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,192 per month in Rayong vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rayong $1,192
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,444 per month in Rayong vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rayong $1,444
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Rayong is about 22% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rayong and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Rayong 31% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.99 ฿101

$10.92 MX$204

-72.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.80 ฿601

$43.37 MX$810

-58.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 ฿254

$11.78 MX$220

-36.08%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.7

$3.81 MX$71.2

-55.91%

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

$0.52 ฿17.43

$1.28 MX$23.96

-59.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ฿9.49

$0.78 MX$14.63

-64.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 ฿58.9

$3.17 MX$59.2

-45.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ฿102

$4.93 MX$92.2

-38.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿64.3

$1.41 MX$26.28

34.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 ฿44.47

$2.22 MX$41.43

-40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿47.31

$1.42 MX$26.48

-1.41%

Eggs

$2.48 ฿83.8

$2.52 MX$47.14

-1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.25 ฿582

$7.26 MX$136

137.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.86 ฿96.4

$7.70 MX$144

-62.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 ฿439

$12.69 MX$237

2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.78 MX$52.0

18.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ฿58.6

$1.37 MX$25.56

26.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ฿76.5

$2.55 MX$47.66

-11.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿63.6

$2.12 MX$39.67

-11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.94 MX$36.22

-12.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿49.95

$1.89 MX$35.24

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ฿43.09

$1.15 MX$21.42

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.15

$1.18 MX$22.03

-59.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 ฿161

$4.30 MX$80.3

10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 ฿497

$9.95 MX$186

47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.58 MX$29.59

12.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 ฿110

$2.67 MX$49.91

22.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.92

$4.97 MX$92.9

-78.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿40.50

$3.33 MX$62.2

-63.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 ฿206

$5.36 MX$100

13.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ฿47.17

$1.44 MX$26.98

-2.78%

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

$30.6K ฿1.0M

$20.7K MX$386.2K

48.21%

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

$26.5K ฿893.2K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

12.72%

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

$44.92 ฿1,517

$84.8 MX$1,584

-47.02%

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

$14.62 ฿494

$23.41 MX$437

-37.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.77 ฿397

$28.66 MX$535

-58.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$57.1 MX$1,066

17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.41 ฿588

$28.91 MX$540

-39.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ฿224

$5.14 MX$96.0

28.99%

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

$788 ฿26.6K

$207 MX$3,860

281.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ฿556.9K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

319.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 ฿2,343

$43.35 MX$810

60.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.09 ฿1,455

$41.44 MX$774

3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 ฿3,313

$74.2 MX$1,386

32.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ฿3,479

$89.3 MX$1,668

15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 ฿14.2K

$980 MX$18.3K

-56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 ฿9,911

$381 MX$7,116

-22.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,999 ฿67.5K

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-67.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$460 ฿15.5K

$735 MX$13.7K

-37.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.45

-54.15%

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

Last update for Rayong: 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

Rayong

$293 31.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 29.8% $87

Groceries & Markets

Rayong

$262 27.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 2.7% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Rayong

$141 15%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 20.8% $29

Eating Out

Rayong

$85 9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 139% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Rayong

$80 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 16.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rayong

$71 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 91.9% $66

Getting Around

Rayong

$7.1 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 615% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Rayong 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.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Rayong versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Rayong vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Rayong

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

09:05 9:05 AM

12 h behind Rayong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,565

149,923

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rayong Playa del Carmen 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Rayong
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,410 per month in Rayong 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 Rayong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $421 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $940 in Rayong and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $788 per month in Rayong and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Rayong, where all-in costs run around $940, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Rayong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $940 in Rayong to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Rayong. 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.