Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Adelaide and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,640 in Adelaide, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Adelaide
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Adelaide Living Index
59

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

Jump to prices

Adelaide

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,640

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,640 in Adelaide versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Adelaide $2,640
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,759 in Adelaide versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Adelaide $3,759
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,878 in Adelaide versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Adelaide $4,878
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Adelaide is roughly 119% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Adelaide is 95% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 A$24.61

$10.86 MX$201

57.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 A$116

$44.21 MX$817

82.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 A$16.75

$11.76 MX$217

-1.02%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.83

$3.68 MX$68.0

10.05%

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

$2.78 A$4.00

$1.34 MX$24.79

107.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 A$3.68

$0.82 MX$15.24

210.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.20

$3.06 MX$56.6

154.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.26 A$11.89

$4.94 MX$91.2

67.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 A$2.85

$1.47 MX$27.17

34.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.22 MX$40.95

25.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.23

$1.48 MX$27.32

51.35%

Eggs

$5.69 A$8.19

$2.49 MX$45.99

128.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$7.52 MX$139

56.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 A$13.24

$7.96 MX$147

15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 A$27.29

$12.57 MX$232

50.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 A$5.67

$2.78 MX$51.3

41.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.43 MX$26.37

111.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 A$5.22

$2.62 MX$48.37

38.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 A$7.28

$2.14 MX$39.49

136.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.60

$2.02 MX$37.38

58.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.56

$1.99 MX$36.74

24.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.58

$1.14 MX$21.01

118.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.33

$1.20 MX$22.18

92.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.26 A$65.1

$4.26 MX$78.7

962.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$20.05

$10.02 MX$185

39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.52 A$7.94

$1.54 MX$28.41

258.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 A$8.51

$2.66 MX$49.17

122.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 A$4.61

$0.53 MX$9.73

503.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.6 A$120

$27.51 MX$508

203.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.07

$4.90 MX$90.6

-27.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 A$2.85

$3.43 MX$63.5

-42.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.11 A$44.77

$5.38 MX$99.4

478.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 A$2.03

$1.45 MX$26.76

-2.76%

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

$29.3K A$42.2K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

38.62%

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

$25.7K A$36.9K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

11.55%

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

$192 A$276

$85.4 MX$1,577

124.85%

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

$25.71 A$36.99

$23.46 MX$434

9.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 A$81.6

$28.43 MX$525

99.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 A$90.6

$62.2 MX$1,149

1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 A$20.24

$28.68 MX$530

-50.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.14 A$24.67

$5.10 MX$94.3

236.08%

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

$2,072 A$2,982

$201 MX$3,715

930.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K A$20.5K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

261.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$101

$44.39 MX$820

58.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.9

$41.35 MX$764

32.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$165

$72.7 MX$1,344

57.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$195

$89.6 MX$1,656

50.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,466

$979 MX$18.1K

74.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,839

$373 MX$6,887

242.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,431 A$3,498

$1,681 MX$31.1K

44.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 A$2,637

$1,095 MX$20.2K

67.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K A$14.5K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

155.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,880 A$9,901

$6,137 MX$113.4K

12.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,830 A$5,511

$738 MX$13.6K

419.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

11.45

-48.30%

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

Last update for Adelaide: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Adelaide

$1.3K 48.4%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 70.8% $905

Groceries & Markets

Adelaide

$415 15.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 37.7% $156

Eating Out

Adelaide

$297 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 32.6% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Adelaide

$274 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Adelaide

$169 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 33.8% $57

Getting Around

Adelaide

$110 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 52.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Adelaide

$97 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 25.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Adelaide and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Adelaide pays 419% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Adelaide vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Adelaide

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

23:19 11:19 PM

15 h 30 min behind Adelaide

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,011

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Adelaide Playa del Carmen 15,290 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Adelaide
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

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

Adelaide and Playa del Carmen differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($2,640 vs $1,204 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 419% higher in Adelaide, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,713 in Adelaide versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,072 in Adelaide versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Adelaide. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,640 in Adelaide, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Adelaide. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Adelaide and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Adelaide. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.