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: $2,619 in Blacktown versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,874 in Blacktown versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,130 in Blacktown versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Blacktown is roughly 107% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Blacktown is 91% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.26 A$27.17

$11.60 MX$200

66.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 A$128

$47.11 MX$812

92.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 A$14.92

$11.88 MX$205

-10.94%

Cappuccino

$4.01 A$5.66

$3.98 MX$68.6

0.75%

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

$3.24 A$4.57

$1.43 MX$24.60

126.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 A$3.76

$0.82 MX$14.22

225.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 A$12.23

$3.19 MX$55.0

171.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.76 A$13.77

$6.79 MX$117

43.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.35

$1.68 MX$28.89

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 A$4.63

$2.20 MX$37.88

49.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 A$3.80

$1.71 MX$29.45

57.31%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.87

$2.74 MX$47.26

103.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 A$19.42

$9.58 MX$165

43.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 A$15.47

$9.01 MX$155

21.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 A$22.50

$12.81 MX$221

24.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$5.87

$2.89 MX$49.81

44.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.45

$1.50 MX$25.81

110.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.02

$2.15 MX$37.03

65.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 A$7.12

$2.26 MX$38.96

123.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.58

$1.98 MX$34.15

64.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.00

$1.99 MX$34.30

42.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 A$3.80

$1.23 MX$21.28

119.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.04

$1.20 MX$20.63

20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.78 A$63.2

$4.55 MX$78.5

884.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 A$21.08

$10.37 MX$179

44.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.80

$1.62 MX$27.91

197.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 A$7.89

$2.88 MX$49.67

94.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 A$4.41

$0.60 MX$10.35

421.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.6 A$131

$28.80 MX$497

221.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 A$5.80

$5.39 MX$92.9

-23.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.34

$3.73 MX$64.3

-55.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.08 A$62.2

$5.77 MX$99.5

663.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.83

$1.54 MX$26.48

-15.58%

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

$27.8K A$39.2K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

23.40%

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

$31.1K A$43.8K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

19.23%

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

$183 A$258

$91.4 MX$1,576

100.55%

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

$27.66 A$39.02

$25.20 MX$435

9.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 A$81.7

$31.24 MX$539

85.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 A$74.7

$67.2 MX$1,159

-21.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 A$28.39

$29.11 MX$502

-30.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.55 A$23.34

$4.86 MX$83.8

240.53%

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

$2,412 A$3,402

$224 MX$3,856

978.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$28.9K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

385.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 A$111

$47.10 MX$812

66.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 A$81.6

$44.29 MX$764

30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$175

$80.1 MX$1,381

55.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 A$194

$92.7 MX$1,598

48.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 A$1,900

$1,063 MX$18.3K

26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 A$1,947

$390 MX$6,728

253.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 A$2,927

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-3.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 A$3,008

$1,272 MX$21.9K

67.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,099 A$10.0K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

77.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 A$7,303

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-20.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

11.45

-48.03%

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

Last update for Blacktown: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,347 in Blacktown and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91.0 in Blacktown vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $276 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, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,928 in Blacktown and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,347 in Blacktown versus $1,063 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 222% less than in Blacktown. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,412 in Blacktown versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,619 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 107% less than in Blacktown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.