Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ta Khmau and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ta Khmau: $511 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ta Khmau, Cambodia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ta Khmau
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$511
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $511 per month in Ta Khmau vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ta Khmau $511
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $812 per month in Ta Khmau vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ta Khmau $812
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,114 per month in Ta Khmau vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ta Khmau $1,114
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Ta Khmau is about 58% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ta Khmau and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ta Khmau 62% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.55 ៛10.4K
$10.92 MX$204
-76.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.28 ៛98.9K
$43.37 MX$810
-44.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.88 ៛28.0K
$11.78 MX$220
-41.60%
Cappuccino
$1.69 ៛6,871
$3.81 MX$71.2
-55.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ៛2,867
$1.28 MX$23.96
-45.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ៛1,596
$0.78 MX$14.63
-50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.02 ៛4,155
$3.17 MX$59.2
-67.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 ៛8,219
$4.93 MX$92.2
-59.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.24 ៛9,121
$1.41 MX$26.28
58.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.65 ៛6,723
$2.22 MX$41.43
-25.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.88 ៛3,588
$1.42 MX$26.48
-38.03%
Eggs
$1.75 ៛7,117
$2.52 MX$47.14
-30.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.60 ៛59.5K
$7.26 MX$136
101.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.89 ៛11.8K
$7.70 MX$144
-62.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.50 ៛38.7K
$12.69 MX$237
-25.14%
Apples (1kg)
$4.28 ៛17.4K
$2.78 MX$52.0
53.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.23 ៛4,994
$1.37 MX$25.56
-10.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.69 ៛15.0K
$2.55 MX$47.66
44.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 ៛4,427
$2.12 MX$39.67
-48.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ៛5,236
$1.94 MX$36.22
-33.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 ៛4,585
$1.89 MX$35.24
-40.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 ៛5,296
$1.15 MX$21.42
13.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ៛3,154
$1.18 MX$22.03
-34.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.35 ៛5,484
$4.30 MX$80.3
-68.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.04 ៛32.8K
$9.95 MX$186
-19.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 ៛3,898
$1.58 MX$29.59
-39.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ៛7,308
$2.67 MX$49.91
-32.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.34
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$497
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 ៛4,390
$4.97 MX$92.9
-78.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ៛4,187
$3.33 MX$62.2
-69.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 ៛20.1K
$5.36 MX$100
-7.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 ៛5,130
$1.44 MX$26.98
-12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.2K ៛102.6M
$20.7K MX$386.2K
21.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K ៛92.8M
$23.5K MX$438.5K
-2.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.9 ៛407.2K
$84.8 MX$1,584
17.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.71 ៛23.3K
$23.41 MX$437
-75.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.09 ៛61.5K
$28.66 MX$535
-47.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,066
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$540
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.93 ៛20.1K
$5.14 MX$96.0
-4.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$293 ៛1.2M
$207 MX$3,860
41.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,377 ៛17.8M
$3,927 MX$73.4K
11.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.29 ៛107.1K
$43.35 MX$810
-39.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.48 ៛54.9K
$41.44 MX$774
-67.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.5 ៛278.9K
$74.2 MX$1,386
-7.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.57 ៛181.6K
$89.3 MX$1,668
-50.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$980 MX$18.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$381 MX$7,116
-
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)
-
$6,158 MX$115.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ta Khmau
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.94
11.45
-30.66%

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

Last update for Ta Khmau: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Ta Khmau
$230
Playa del Carmen
$255 10.7% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ta Khmau
$121
Playa del Carmen
$137 13.3% $16
Eating Out
Ta Khmau
$75
Playa del Carmen
$202 171% $128
Clothing & Footwear
Ta Khmau
$69
Playa del Carmen
$112 62.5% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Ta Khmau
$9.9 *
Playa del Carmen
$67 582% $57
Getting Around
Ta Khmau
$6.2 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 711% $44
Accommodation & Living
Ta Khmau
- *
Playa del Carmen
$381

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Ta Khmau versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $255 – making Ta Khmau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Ta Khmau
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
19:19 7:19 PM
07:19 7:19 AM
12 h behind Ta Khmau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
52,066
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,074 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,534 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.21 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ta Khmau Playa del Carmen 16,210 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ta Khmau
  • 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
Ta Khmau vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ta Khmau cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 136%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $766 per month in Ta Khmau and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Ta Khmau and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $511 in Ta Khmau and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 136%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $293 per month in Ta Khmau and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Ta Khmau or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ta Khmau, where all-in costs run around $511, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Ta Khmau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Ta Khmau or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $511 in Ta Khmau to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Ta Khmau vs other spots: cost of living compared

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