Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,876 per month in Ashburton vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,921 per month in Ashburton vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,965 per month in Ashburton vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ashburton costs about 49% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Ashburton sits 40% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.77 NZ$28.72

$11.99 MX$210

39.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 NZ$126

$41.78 MX$733

76.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 NZ$16.89

$10.75 MX$189

-8.28%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$5.95

$3.50 MX$61.3

-0.86%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.02

$1.45 MX$25.41

62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 NZ$3.38

$0.88 MX$15.52

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 NZ$12.16

$2.95 MX$51.7

140.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 NZ$12.70

$4.51 MX$79.1

64.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.43 MX$25.12

32.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.29

$1.84 MX$32.23

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.57 MX$27.51

10.19%

Eggs

$6.49 NZ$11.11

$2.51 MX$44.06

158.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 NZ$14.06

$8.28 MX$145

-0.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 NZ$15.62

$8.43 MX$148

8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 NZ$21.77

$10.68 MX$187

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.44

$2.61 MX$45.76

21.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.61

$1.44 MX$25.22

46.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.18

$1.96 MX$34.41

54.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 NZ$5.53

$2.09 MX$36.74

54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.85 MX$32.47

11.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.84

$2.17 MX$38.02

3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 NZ$5.22

$1.03 MX$18.09

196.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.40

$1.07 MX$18.84

30.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.39 NZ$41.77

$4.10 MX$72.0

494.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 NZ$14.56

$10.17 MX$178

-16.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 NZ$6.44

$1.68 MX$29.38

123.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 NZ$8.19

$2.53 MX$44.31

88.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 NZ$3.51

$0.51 MX$8.93

301.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 NZ$112

$26.04 MX$457

150.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NZ$4.78

$3.23 MX$56.7

-13.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NZ$2.90

$2.41 MX$42.19

-29.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.00 NZ$51.4

$3.23 MX$56.6

828.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$2.94

$1.32 MX$23.17

30.30%

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

$27.6K NZ$47.2K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-7.21%

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

$20.0K NZ$34.3K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-15.39%

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

$117 NZ$201

$82.0 MX$1,439

43.04%

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

$31.27 NZ$53.5

$22.95 MX$403

36.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 NZ$92.7

$30.11 MX$528

79.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.42 NZ$62.4

$52.0 MX$912

-29.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 NZ$20.91

$18.53 MX$325

-34.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 NZ$18.67

$4.98 MX$87.3

118.88%

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

$639 NZ$1,094

$197 MX$3,463

223.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,344 NZ$16.0K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

75.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.19 NZ$51.7

$35.60 MX$624

-15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.44 NZ$72.7

$40.33 MX$707

5.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 NZ$158

$78.8 MX$1,381

17.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NZ$259

$88.9 MX$1,560

70.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 NZ$1,670

$947 MX$16.6K

3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 NZ$1,331

$474 MX$8,314

64.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 NZ$2,734

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-2.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 NZ$2,417

$1,211 MX$21.2K

16.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,139 NZ$7,088

$4,056 MX$71.1K

2.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,773 NZ$6,461

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-41.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

11.42

-40.98%

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

Last update for Ashburton: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $976 in Ashburton versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ashburton versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,876 in Ashburton, $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 49% apart. Ashburton costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,814 per month in Ashburton and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Ashburton, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ashburton and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Ashburton at $1,876. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashburton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $1,876 in Ashburton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashburton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.