Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,824 in Alice Springs versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,629 in Alice Springs versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Alice Springs versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Alice Springs is roughly 41% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alice Springs is 36% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.83 A$17.87

$11.73 MX$203

9.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 A$109

$41.62 MX$720

88.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 A$13.39

$10.64 MX$184

-9.68%

Cappuccino

$3.76 A$5.23

$3.52 MX$60.9

6.82%

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

$2.52 A$3.51

$1.51 MX$26.12

66.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.60

$0.97 MX$16.84

167.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 A$8.45

$2.95 MX$51.0

105.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.27 A$12.92

$4.45 MX$77.0

108.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.93

$1.38 MX$23.93

0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 A$3.00

$1.89 MX$32.72

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.73

$1.64 MX$28.32

19.51%

Eggs

$4.71 A$6.56

$2.51 MX$43.34

87.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 A$11.92

$8.34 MX$144

2.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 A$17.37

$8.34 MX$144

49.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 A$18.70

$10.73 MX$186

25.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 A$4.84

$2.60 MX$45.04

33.85%

Banana (1kg)

$4.12 A$5.75

$1.46 MX$25.20

182.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 A$5.58

$1.90 MX$32.87

110.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.27 A$10.14

$2.08 MX$35.91

249.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.55

$1.78 MX$30.71

83.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.33

$2.19 MX$37.80

9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$2.93

$1.04 MX$17.99

102.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.35

$1.08 MX$18.62

56.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.29 A$24.10

$4.08 MX$70.6

323.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.93 A$22.20

$10.32 MX$178

54.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 A$4.36

$1.71 MX$29.61

83.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.47

$2.58 MX$44.54

107.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 A$2.25

$0.51 MX$8.81

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$90.4

$26.46 MX$458

145.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.72

$3.26 MX$56.4

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 A$1.71

$2.49 MX$43.09

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.57 A$49.56

$3.25 MX$56.2

994.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.82

$1.31 MX$22.61

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

$29.9K A$41.7K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-1.16%

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

$20.9K A$29.2K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-10.69%

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

$196 A$272

$82.9 MX$1,433

135.92%

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

$27.29 A$38.02

$22.22 MX$384

22.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 A$91.3

$29.34 MX$507

123.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.2 A$90.8

$51.6 MX$893

26.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.28 A$22.68

$18.32 MX$317

-11.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 A$18.40

$5.07 MX$87.6

160.55%

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

$1,354 A$1,887

$201 MX$3,473

574.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,798 A$3,899

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-46.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 A$101

$36.92 MX$639

96.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.23 A$15.65

$39.79 MX$688

-71.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 A$195

$78.5 MX$1,357

78.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$148

$87.1 MX$1,506

22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 A$862

$973 MX$16.8K

-36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 A$799

$468 MX$8,090

22.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 A$2,063

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 A$879

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-48.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,661 A$6,495

$3,946 MX$68.3K

18.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,928 A$6,867

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-24.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,508 A$6,282

$664 MX$11.5K

579.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Alice Springs: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Alice Springs and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 579% 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: $78.0 in Alice Springs vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 41% 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.

Alice Springs pays 579% more on average, 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: $619 in Alice Springs versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% 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 $42.00 versus $78.0 in Alice Springs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,824 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 $1,297 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 41% less than in Alice Springs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.