Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trang and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Trang: $968 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Trang
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Trang Living Index
57

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

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Trang

🇹🇭 Thailand

$968

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $968 per month in Trang vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Trang $968
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $1,576 per month in Trang vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Trang $1,576
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,185 per month in Trang vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Trang $2,185
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Trang is about 20% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Trang and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Trang 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.74 ฿58.6

$10.67 MX$201

-83.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.29 ฿752

$43.80 MX$824

-49.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 ฿284

$11.79 MX$222

-28.67%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ฿92.4

$3.79 MX$71.2

-27.70%

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

$0.95 ฿31.90

$1.30 MX$24.41

-26.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.86

$0.83 MX$15.69

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 ฿83.1

$3.15 MX$59.2

-21.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$4.93 MX$92.9

-25.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.41 MX$26.51

18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ฿41.80

$2.20 MX$41.32

-43.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.93

$1.47 MX$27.71

-27.21%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.50 MX$46.99

-16.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 ฿374

$7.29 MX$137

51.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 ฿117

$7.95 MX$150

-56.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 ฿367

$12.86 MX$242

-15.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ฿97.0

$2.90 MX$54.5

-0.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.2

$1.38 MX$26.03

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ฿76.3

$2.49 MX$46.88

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.9

$2.03 MX$38.20

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.81

$2.02 MX$38.11

-32.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.59

$1.90 MX$35.82

-36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.84

$1.14 MX$21.54

-7.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.66

$1.24 MX$23.32

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 ฿148

$4.27 MX$80.4

2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.33 ฿618

$9.81 MX$185

86.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿61.7

$1.59 MX$29.85

15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿96.3

$2.75 MX$51.7

3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ฿27.76

$0.51 MX$9.69

60.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.76 MX$89.6

-68.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ฿25.87

$3.25 MX$61.1

-76.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 ฿128

$5.39 MX$101

-29.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ฿38.13

$1.53 MX$28.76

-26.14%

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

$26.8K ฿903.0K

$21.2K MX$399.2K

26.20%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$23.3K MX$437.8K

15.55%

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

$97.2 ฿3,279

$83.5 MX$1,571

16.46%

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

$11.16 ฿376

$23.19 MX$436

-51.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿577

$27.61 MX$520

-38.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.26 ฿1,594

$56.4 MX$1,062

-16.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.80 ฿466

$28.19 MX$531

-51.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿258

$5.00 MX$94.1

53.00%

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

$522 ฿17.6K

$207 MX$3,897

152.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K ฿630.0K

$5,231 MX$98.4K

257.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 ฿2,155

$43.45 MX$818

47.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.62 ฿965

$42.54 MX$801

-32.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 ฿3,202

$72.8 MX$1,369

30.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 ฿2,965

$88.4 MX$1,663

-0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 ฿15.7K

$995 MX$18.7K

-53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 ฿10.5K

$382 MX$7,197

-18.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 ฿38.8K

$1,674 MX$31.5K

-31.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 ฿26.5K

$1,081 MX$20.3K

-27.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,042 ฿68.9K

$3,909 MX$73.6K

-47.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 ฿50.0K

$6,138 MX$115.5K

-75.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

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 Trang: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Trang

$312 32.2%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 22.6% $71

Groceries & Markets

Trang

$238 24.6%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 8.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trang

$125 13%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 7% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Trang

$124 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 10.2% $13

Eating Out

Trang

$97 10.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 106% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Trang

$63 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 6.2% $3.9

Getting Around

Trang

$8.6 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 485% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $465 in Trang versus $995 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 $22 in Trang versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $257 – making Trang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Trang

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

22:35 10:35 PM

12 h behind Trang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,304

149,923

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Trang Playa del Carmen 16,800 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Trang
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,451 per month in Trang and $1,804 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 Trang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $465 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $968 in Trang and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Trang about 20% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $522 per month in Trang 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 $968 in Trang and $1,202 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 $968 in Trang to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.