Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albury and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,246 in Albury, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Albury
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Albury Living Index
59

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

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Albury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,246

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,246 in Albury versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Albury $2,246
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,352 in Albury versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Albury $3,352
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,458 in Albury versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Albury $4,458
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Albury is roughly 86% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Albury is 66% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$29.97

$10.76 MX$199

93.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 A$127

$43.03 MX$795

105.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 A$15.14

$11.79 MX$218

-10.77%

Cappuccino

$4.13 A$5.94

$3.87 MX$71.4

6.72%

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

$3.05 A$4.39

$1.37 MX$25.29

122.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 A$3.59

$0.84 MX$15.44

196.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 A$10.15

$3.10 MX$57.3

127.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 A$10.10

$5.07 MX$93.6

38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 A$2.20

$1.44 MX$26.55

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 A$4.59

$2.23 MX$41.23

43.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.63

$1.47 MX$27.17

71.43%

Eggs

$5.16 A$7.42

$2.53 MX$46.71

103.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 A$12.36

$7.30 MX$135

17.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 A$14.01

$7.86 MX$145

23.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 A$18.34

$12.79 MX$236

-0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$2.90 MX$53.6

13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.57

$1.44 MX$26.53

120.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 A$4.90

$2.55 MX$47.07

33.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 A$7.60

$2.06 MX$38.03

156.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$2.00 MX$36.97

52.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$3.04

$2.01 MX$37.07

5.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.27

$1.19 MX$22.02

90.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.99

$1.26 MX$23.23

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.71 A$39.88

$4.40 MX$81.4

529.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 A$19.69

$9.59 MX$177

42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 A$6.15

$1.59 MX$29.41

168.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 A$7.75

$2.81 MX$51.9

91.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.86 A$5.55

$0.57 MX$10.47

577.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 A$103

$27.82 MX$514

157.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 A$4.94

$4.98 MX$92.1

-30.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.31

$3.50 MX$64.6

-54.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.17 A$59.3

$5.40 MX$99.8

662.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.47 MX$27.08

-11.56%

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

$26.6K A$38.2K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

26.60%

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

$27.9K A$40.1K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

16.52%

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

$184 A$264

$84.2 MX$1,556

118.04%

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

$26.90 A$38.70

$23.99 MX$443

12.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 A$79.2

$29.02 MX$536

89.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$138 A$198

$63.0 MX$1,164

118.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.37 A$32.19

$29.14 MX$539

-23.23%

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 A$18.57

$4.94 MX$91.3

161.34%

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

$2,164 A$3,114

$204 MX$3,763

962.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$29.6K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

421.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 A$90.2

$43.60 MX$806

43.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.39 A$61.0

$43.12 MX$797

-1.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 A$140

$75.8 MX$1,400

27.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$154

$88.6 MX$1,637

20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 A$1,586

$1,008 MX$18.6K

9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 A$1,288

$374 MX$6,911

139.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,898 A$2,731

$1,708 MX$31.6K

11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 A$1,998

$1,106 MX$20.4K

25.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,706 A$6,772

$754 MX$13.9K

524.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

11.45

-48.03%

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

Last update for Albury: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albury

$895 39.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 58.2% $521

Groceries & Markets

Albury

$365 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 29.1% $106

Eating Out

Albury

$319 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 36.6% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albury

$266 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 48.3% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Albury

$164 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 55.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Albury

$139 6.2%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 18.8% $26

Getting Around

Albury

$98 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 46.6% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,102 in Albury and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albury pays 524% 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: $88.0 in Albury vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Albury

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

16 h behind Albury

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,323

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 18, 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 18, 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

Albury Playa del Carmen 14,530 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Albury
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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Albury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 524% higher in Albury, 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: $1,102 in Albury versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Albury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $88.0 in Albury. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,246 in Albury, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Albury. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Albury 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 86% less than in Albury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.