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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,201 in Blacktown versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,160 in Blacktown versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,119 in Blacktown versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Blacktown is roughly 71% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Blacktown is 64% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.54 A$13.26

$11.94 MX$208

-20.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.1 A$120

$42.75 MX$744

101.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 A$9.48

$10.59 MX$184

-35.60%

Cappuccino

$2.90 A$4.03

$3.62 MX$63.0

-19.89%

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

$1.83 A$2.55

$1.47 MX$25.54

24.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.31

$0.94 MX$16.41

76.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.21

$3.09 MX$53.8

114.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 A$10.68

$4.46 MX$77.6

72.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 A$1.39

$1.43 MX$24.80

-30.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 A$1.26

$1.88 MX$32.79

-51.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 A$1.30

$1.63 MX$28.34

-42.94%

Eggs

$2.54 A$3.53

$2.64 MX$45.99

-3.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 A$13.62

$8.21 MX$143

19.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 A$12.73

$8.29 MX$144

10.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 A$20.53

$11.10 MX$193

33.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.60

$2.65 MX$46.14

24.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.08

$1.50 MX$26.11

95.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.20

$1.99 MX$34.59

51.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 A$5.51

$2.08 MX$36.13

90.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.29

$1.79 MX$31.11

31.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 A$1.82

$2.18 MX$37.87

-39.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 A$2.48

$1.08 MX$18.73

65.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 A$0.45

$1.04 MX$18.04

-69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.54 A$35.50

$3.97 MX$69.1

543.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 A$19.95

$10.20 MX$178

40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.03 A$6.99

$1.73 MX$30.04

190.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 A$8.19

$2.50 MX$43.46

135.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 A$3.56

$0.52 MX$9.02

392.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 A$90.5

$26.97 MX$469

141.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 A$5.64

$3.14 MX$54.7

29.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 A$2.51

$2.40 MX$41.80

-24.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.99 A$57.0

$3.09 MX$53.7

1226.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.65

$1.27 MX$22.16

-7.09%

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

$21.4K A$29.7K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-30.79%

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

$16.2K A$22.5K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-30.53%

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

$220 A$306

$82.0 MX$1,427

168.21%

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

$29.66 A$41.22

$22.45 MX$391

32.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.15 A$64.2

$29.66 MX$516

55.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 A$66.9

$51.9 MX$903

-7.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 A$21.97

$18.67 MX$325

-15.37%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 A$17.75

$4.97 MX$86.5

156.94%

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

$1,716 A$2,386

$198 MX$3,442

767.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K A$18.1K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

147.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 A$99.1

$36.34 MX$632

96.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 A$78.1

$40.05 MX$697

40.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 A$134

$79.9 MX$1,390

20.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$157

$88.9 MX$1,547

26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 A$1,765

$963 MX$16.8K

31.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 A$1,464

$465 MX$8,086

126.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,788

$1,596 MX$27.8K

25.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 A$2,306

$1,209 MX$21.0K

37.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,611 A$7,800

$3,942 MX$68.6K

42.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,387 A$6,097

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-31.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 A$5,530

$720 MX$12.5K

452.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

11.42

-44.92%

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

Last update for Blacktown: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,270 in Blacktown and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Blacktown pays 452% 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: $86.0 in Blacktown vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $251 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Blacktown pays 452% 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: $1,270 in Blacktown versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 141% less than in Blacktown. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,716 in Blacktown versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,201 in Blacktown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Blacktown. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Blacktown, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Blacktown 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 71% less than in Blacktown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.