Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Playa del Carmen 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Playa del Carmen is 33.7% higher than in Chiang Mai (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Playa del Carmen is 48.9% higher than in Chiang Mai | |
| Rent Prices in Playa del Carmen are 112.0% higher than in Chiang Mai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Playa del Carmen are 108.0% higher than in Chiang Mai | |
| Groceries Prices in Playa del Carmen are 2.9% higher than in Chiang Mai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Playa del Carmen is 32.4% lower than in Chiang Mai | |
Restaurants | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
65.00 ฿ (38.06 MXN) |
381.30 ฿ (223.25 MXN) |
+486.6 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 ฿ (409.84 MXN) |
1,366.37 ฿ (800.00 MXN) |
+95.2 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
250.00 ฿ (146.37 MXN) |
341.59 ฿ (200.00 MXN) |
+36.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
70.00 ฿ (40.98 MXN) |
97.15 ฿ (56.88 MXN) |
+38.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
120.00 ฿ (70.26 MXN) |
145.18 ฿ (85.00 MXN) |
+21.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
63.00 ฿ (36.89 MXN) |
114.02 ฿ (66.76 MXN) |
+81.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
26.31 ฿ (15.40 MXN) |
47.80 ฿ (27.99 MXN) |
+81.7 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
11.43 ฿ (6.69 MXN) |
30.08 ฿ (17.61 MXN) |
+163.2 % |
Markets | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
206.84 ฿ (121.11 MXN) |
171.77 ฿ (100.57 MXN) |
-17.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
46.75 ฿ (27.37 MXN) |
54.54 ฿ (31.93 MXN) |
+16.7 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
17.25 ฿ (10.10 MXN) |
23.24 ฿ (13.61 MXN) |
+34.7 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
63.58 ฿ (37.22 MXN) |
83.31 ฿ (48.77 MXN) |
+31.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
234.96 ฿ (137.57 MXN) |
123.96 ฿ (72.57 MXN) |
-47.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
45.39 ฿ (26.58 MXN) |
125.15 ฿ (73.27 MXN) |
+175.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
161.34 ฿ (94.46 MXN) |
159.31 ฿ (93.28 MXN) |
-1.3 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
39.65 ฿ (23.22 MXN) |
39.25 ฿ (22.98 MXN) |
-1.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
17.73 ฿ (10.38 MXN) |
21.49 ฿ (12.58 MXN) |
+21.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
24.63 ฿ (14.42 MXN) |
28.28 ฿ (16.56 MXN) |
+14.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
22.91 ฿ (13.41 MXN) |
31.37 ฿ (18.37 MXN) |
+36.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
19.96 ฿ (11.69 MXN) |
26.86 ฿ (15.72 MXN) |
+34.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
17.33 ฿ (10.15 MXN) |
32.28 ฿ (18.90 MXN) |
+86.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
22.33 ฿ (13.08 MXN) |
33.85 ฿ (19.82 MXN) |
+51.6 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
17.50 ฿ (10.25 MXN) |
34.16 ฿ (20.00 MXN) |
+95.2 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
600.00 ฿ (351.29 MXN) |
323.85 ฿ (189.61 MXN) |
-46.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
58.81 ฿ (34.43 MXN) |
54.90 ฿ (32.14 MXN) |
-6.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
105.62 ฿ (61.84 MXN) |
82.74 ฿ (48.44 MXN) |
-21.7 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
150.00 ฿ (87.82 MXN) |
131.51 ฿ (77.00 MXN) |
-12.3 % |
Transportation | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 ฿ (17.56 MXN) |
17.08 ฿ (10.00 MXN) |
-43.1 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
617.39 ฿ (361.48 MXN) |
853.98 ฿ (500.00 MXN) |
+38.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
45.00 ฿ (26.35 MXN) |
102.48 ฿ (60.00 MXN) |
+127.7 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
72.42 ฿ (42.40 MXN) |
145.18 ฿ (85.00 MXN) |
+100.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
260.00 ฿ (152.23 MXN) |
102.48 ฿ (60.00 MXN) |
-60.6 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
156.20 ฿ (91.46 MXN) |
158.20 ฿ (92.62 MXN) |
+1.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
700,000.00 ฿ (409,844.14 MXN) |
977,810.73 ฿ (572,500.00 MXN) |
+39.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
718,333.33 ฿ (420,578.16 MXN) |
762,834.70 ฿ (446,633.33 MXN) |
+6.2 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,293.48 ฿ (1,342.81 MXN) |
2,667.86 ฿ (1,562.01 MXN) |
+16.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
458.83 ฿ (268.64 MXN) |
727.40 ฿ (425.89 MXN) |
+58.5 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
564.60 ฿ (330.57 MXN) |
962.15 ฿ (563.33 MXN) |
+70.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
1,350.25 ฿ (790.56 MXN) |
1,676.39 ฿ (981.51 MXN) |
+24.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
220.00 ฿ (128.81 MXN) |
597.79 ฿ (350.00 MXN) |
+171.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
190.00 ฿ (111.24 MXN) |
161.92 ฿ (94.80 MXN) |
-14.8 % |
Childcare | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
9,888.89 ฿ (5,789.86 MXN) |
6,447.57 ฿ (3,775.00 MXN) |
-34.8 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
480,000.00 ฿ (281,035.98 MXN) |
169,088.67 ฿ (99,000.00 MXN) |
-64.8 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
1,800.00 ฿ (1,053.88 MXN) |
1,171.91 ฿ (686.15 MXN) |
-34.9 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
858.33 ฿ (502.55 MXN) |
1,280.41 ฿ (749.67 MXN) |
+49.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
2,750.00 ฿ (1,610.10 MXN) |
2,576.36 ฿ (1,508.44 MXN) |
-6.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
2,300.00 ฿ (1,346.63 MXN) |
2,832.55 ฿ (1,658.44 MXN) |
+23.2 % |
Rent Per Month | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
14,440.08 ฿ (8,454.55 MXN) |
31,144.03 ฿ (18,234.57 MXN) |
+115.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
7,543.75 ฿ (4,416.80 MXN) |
15,303.38 ฿ (8,960.00 MXN) |
+102.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
26,388.89 ฿ (15,450.47 MXN) |
52,377.63 ฿ (30,666.67 MXN) |
+98.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
16,583.33 ฿ (9,709.40 MXN) |
38,856.23 ฿ (22,750.00 MXN) |
+134.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
6,224.45 ฿ (3,644.36 MXN) |
9,091.10 ฿ (5,322.76 MXN) |
+46.1 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
3,437.38 ฿ (2,012.56 MXN) |
22,214.35 ฿ (13,006.32 MXN) |
+546.3 % |
Salaries And Financing | Chiang Mai Edit |
Playa del Carmen Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
24,722.22 ฿ (14,474.65 MXN) |
24,907.84 ฿ (14,583.33 MXN) |
+0.8 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 5.00 | 11.42 | +128.3 % |
| Last update: | 28 May 2025 | 4 June 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 62 | 32 |
Cities near Chiang Mai: | Cost of Living in Chiang Rai | 116.48 miles |
| Cost of Living in Phitsanulok | 242.68 miles |
Cities near Playa del Carmen: | Cost of Living in Cancun | 43.05 miles |
| Cost of Living in Motul de Carrillo Puerto | 169.06 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chetumal | 196.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Merida | 223.09 miles |