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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,663 in Ballarat versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,699 in Ballarat versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,734 in Ballarat versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ballarat is roughly 28% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballarat is 24% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 A$19.20

$11.73 MX$203

17.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 A$91.9

$41.62 MX$720

58.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 A$13.38

$10.64 MX$184

-9.77%

Cappuccino

$3.48 A$4.84

$3.52 MX$60.9

-1.14%

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

$2.61 A$3.64

$1.51 MX$26.12

72.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 A$2.91

$0.97 MX$16.84

115.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 A$8.57

$2.95 MX$51.0

108.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 A$9.47

$4.45 MX$77.0

52.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.01

$1.38 MX$23.93

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 A$3.47

$1.89 MX$32.72

31.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 A$2.19

$1.64 MX$28.32

-4.27%

Eggs

$4.03 A$5.62

$2.51 MX$43.34

60.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 A$12.68

$8.34 MX$144

9.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.60

$8.34 MX$144

8.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 A$20.44

$10.73 MX$186

36.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.49

$2.60 MX$45.04

23.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.91

$1.46 MX$25.20

92.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.90 MX$32.87

49.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 A$5.40

$2.08 MX$35.91

86.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 A$3.74

$1.78 MX$30.71

51.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.15

$2.19 MX$37.80

3.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$1.04 MX$17.99

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 A$1.40

$1.08 MX$18.62

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.17 A$43.43

$4.08 MX$70.6

663.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 A$19.61

$10.32 MX$178

36.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 A$3.00

$1.71 MX$29.61

25.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 A$4.20

$2.58 MX$44.54

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 A$2.31

$0.51 MX$8.81

225.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 A$91.0

$26.46 MX$458

146.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 A$3.28

$3.26 MX$56.4

-27.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 A$1.69

$2.49 MX$43.09

-51.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 A$34.88

$3.25 MX$56.2

670.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 A$1.55

$1.31 MX$22.61

-15.27%

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

$27.6K A$38.5K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-8.74%

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

$22.8K A$31.8K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-2.62%

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

$153 A$213

$82.9 MX$1,433

84.63%

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

$21.26 A$29.63

$22.22 MX$384

-4.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 A$70.3

$29.34 MX$507

72.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.00 A$44.59

$51.6 MX$893

-38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 A$22.02

$18.32 MX$317

-13.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 A$15.13

$5.07 MX$87.6

114.20%

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

$329 A$458

$201 MX$3,473

63.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

273.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 A$90.7

$36.92 MX$639

76.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 A$73.8

$39.79 MX$688

33.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 A$122

$78.5 MX$1,357

11.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 A$131

$87.1 MX$1,506

7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 A$1,199

$973 MX$16.8K

-11.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 A$888

$468 MX$8,090

36.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 A$2,808

$1,641 MX$28.4K

22.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 A$1,881

$1,221 MX$21.1K

10.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,884 A$6,806

$3,946 MX$68.3K

23.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,585 A$4,995

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-44.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,249 A$4,527

$664 MX$11.5K

389.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

11.42

-46.85%

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

Last update for Ballarat: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $861 in Ballarat and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 389% 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: $66.0 in Ballarat vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Ballarat. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ballarat pays 389% 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: $861 in Ballarat versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Ballarat 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 28% higher in Ballarat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,663 in Ballarat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ballarat. 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, Ballarat 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 28% less than in Ballarat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.