Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,798 in Alice Springs, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,798 in Alice Springs versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Alice Springs $1,798
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,720 in Alice Springs versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Alice Springs $2,720
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,641 in Alice Springs versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Alice Springs $3,641
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Alice Springs is roughly 49% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alice Springs is 33% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.85

$10.86 MX$201

59.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 A$119

$44.21 MX$817

87.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 A$15.40

$11.76 MX$217

-9.01%

Cappuccino

$4.28 A$6.16

$3.68 MX$68.0

16.30%

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

$2.87 A$4.13

$1.34 MX$24.79

114.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 A$4.06

$0.82 MX$15.24

243.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 A$9.33

$3.06 MX$56.6

111.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 A$13.72

$4.94 MX$91.2

93.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.05

$1.47 MX$27.17

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 A$3.03

$2.22 MX$40.95

-5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.57

$1.48 MX$27.32

20.27%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.33

$2.49 MX$45.99

104.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 A$14.63

$7.52 MX$139

35.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.94

$7.96 MX$147

4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 A$20.87

$12.57 MX$232

15.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.53

$2.78 MX$51.3

38.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$1.43 MX$26.37

109.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.78

$2.62 MX$48.37

0.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.86

$2.14 MX$39.49

220.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.58

$2.02 MX$37.38

23.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.28

$1.99 MX$36.74

14.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$1.14 MX$21.01

113.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.40

$1.20 MX$22.18

96.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.22 A$40.60

$4.26 MX$78.7

562.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$10.02 MX$185

37.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 A$4.64

$1.54 MX$28.41

109.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 A$8.04

$2.66 MX$49.17

110.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.02

$0.53 MX$9.73

426.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 A$99.1

$27.51 MX$508

150.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 A$6.97

$4.90 MX$90.6

-1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.24

$3.43 MX$63.5

-54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.74 A$39.92

$5.38 MX$99.4

415.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.94

$1.45 MX$26.76

-6.90%

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

$37.6K A$54.1K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

77.77%

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

$23.0K A$33.0K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

-0.23%

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

$213 A$306

$85.4 MX$1,577

148.99%

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

$28.21 A$40.59

$23.46 MX$434

20.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.86 A$66.0

$28.43 MX$525

61.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$81.9

$62.2 MX$1,149

-8.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 A$25.83

$28.68 MX$530

-37.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 A$20.06

$5.10 MX$94.3

173.33%

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

$1,941 A$2,793

$201 MX$3,715

865.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

420.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 A$105

$44.39 MX$820

64.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.03 A$17.31

$41.35 MX$764

-70.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 A$198

$72.7 MX$1,344

89.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$89.6 MX$1,656

33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 A$2,022

$979 MX$18.1K

43.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 A$746

$373 MX$6,887

39.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 A$1,823

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-24.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 A$1,101

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-30.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,502 A$6,478

$3,949 MX$73.0K

13.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,696 A$6,757

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-23.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,301 A$6,189

$738 MX$13.6K

483.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

11.45

-48.47%

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

Last update for Alice Springs: 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

Alice Springs

$518 28.8%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 28.1% $146

Groceries & Markets

Alice Springs

$365 20.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 29.3% $107

Eating Out

Alice Springs

$296 16.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 32.3% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alice Springs

$287 15.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 52.1% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Alice Springs

$154 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 27.6% $43

Getting Around

Alice Springs

$93 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 44.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Alice Springs

$85 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 14.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,405 in Alice Springs and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 483% 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: $83.0 in Alice Springs vs $44.00 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

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

20:46 8:46 PM

14 h 30 min behind Alice Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,855

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 25, 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 25, 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

Alice Springs Playa del Carmen 15,800 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Alice Springs
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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Alice Springs. 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 483% higher in Alice Springs, 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: $1,405 in Alice Springs versus $979 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 Alice Springs. 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 $44.00 versus $83.0 in Alice Springs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,798 in Alice Springs, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Alice Springs. 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 $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alice Springs 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 49% less than in Alice Springs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.