Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakon Nakhon and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $896 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index
58

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

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Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$896

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $896 per month in Sakon Nakhon vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sakon Nakhon $896
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,416 per month in Sakon Nakhon vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sakon Nakhon $1,416
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,937 per month in Sakon Nakhon vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sakon Nakhon $1,937
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Sakon Nakhon is about 26% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sakon Nakhon and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sakon Nakhon 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.46 ฿49.20

$10.92 MX$203

-86.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.98 ฿505

$43.37 MX$805

-65.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.89 ฿97.5

$11.78 MX$219

-75.47%

Cappuccino

$1.46 ฿49.23

$3.81 MX$70.7

-61.68%

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

$0.73 ฿24.55

$1.28 MX$23.81

-42.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ฿8.38

$0.78 MX$14.54

-67.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 ฿67.9

$3.17 MX$58.8

-36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ฿71.5

$4.93 MX$91.7

-57.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.41 MX$26.12

68.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.22 MX$41.17

-42.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 ฿40.73

$1.42 MX$26.32

-14.79%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.7

$2.52 MX$46.85

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 ฿354

$7.26 MX$135

44.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.48 ฿83.7

$7.70 MX$143

-67.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 ฿350

$12.69 MX$236

-18.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.78 MX$51.7

11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ฿39.24

$1.37 MX$25.41

-15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.9

$2.55 MX$47.37

-16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 ฿62.8

$2.12 MX$39.43

-12.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.20

$1.94 MX$36.00

-24.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.72

$1.89 MX$35.02

-23.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ฿18.25

$1.15 MX$21.29

-53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.10

$1.18 MX$21.89

-56.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿147

$4.30 MX$79.8

1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.49 ฿589

$9.95 MX$185

75.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.58 MX$29.41

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿93.0

$2.67 MX$49.60

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.25

$0.55 MX$10.28

58.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$4.97 MX$92.3

-70.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$3.33 MX$61.9

-66.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 ฿181

$5.36 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ฿42.54

$1.44 MX$26.82

-12.50%

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

$26.3K ฿887.7K

$20.7K MX$383.8K

27.47%

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

$27.4K ฿921.7K

$23.5K MX$435.8K

16.56%

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

$83.2 ฿2,803

$84.8 MX$1,575

-1.90%

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

$10.13 ฿342

$23.41 MX$435

-56.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.68 ฿528

$28.66 MX$532

-45.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.92 ฿1,649

$57.1 MX$1,059

-14.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 ฿407

$28.91 MX$537

-58.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 ฿119

$5.14 MX$95.4

-31.13%

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

$660 ฿22.2K

$207 MX$3,836

219.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ฿370.3K

$3,927 MX$72.9K

179.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.47 ฿656

$43.35 MX$805

-55.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$6.67 ฿225

$41.44 MX$770

-83.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ฿3,988

$74.2 MX$1,378

59.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 ฿2,497

$89.3 MX$1,657

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 ฿13.8K

$980 MX$18.2K

-58.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ฿11.3K

$381 MX$7,072

-11.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 ฿41.1K

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-28.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 ฿25.4K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-30.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 ฿73.2K

$3,943 MX$73.2K

-44.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,814 ฿61.1K

$6,158 MX$114.4K

-70.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$741 ฿25.0K

$735 MX$13.6K

0.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.45

-51.35%

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

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 26, 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

Sakon Nakhon

$336 37.5%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 13.3% $45

Groceries & Markets

Sakon Nakhon

$230 25.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 11% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 25.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 13.6% $13

Eating Out

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 261% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 20.2% $11

Getting Around

Sakon Nakhon

$10 * 1.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 383% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Sakon Nakhon 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 $15 in Sakon Nakhon versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $255 – making Sakon Nakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

00:39 12:39 AM

12 h behind Sakon Nakhon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,100

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 = 4.8 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 = 37.77 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 = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sakon Nakhon Playa del Carmen 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Sakon Nakhon
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,343 per month in Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $410 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $896 in Sakon Nakhon and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Sakon Nakhon about 26% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $660 per month in Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon, where all-in costs run around $896, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sakon Nakhon 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 $896 in Sakon Nakhon to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.