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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,300 per month in Brisbane vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,347 per month in Brisbane vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,395 per month in Brisbane vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Brisbane costs about 82% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Brisbane sits 72% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 A$22.66

$11.67 MX$202

39.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 A$100

$41.88 MX$725

72.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 A$13.24

$10.40 MX$180

-8.37%

Cappuccino

$3.69 A$5.13

$3.61 MX$62.6

2.22%

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

$2.74 A$3.81

$1.47 MX$25.44

86.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$2.96

$0.91 MX$15.79

134.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 A$9.28

$3.03 MX$52.5

120.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$10.94

$4.47 MX$77.4

76.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 A$2.22

$1.38 MX$23.82

15.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 A$3.21

$1.84 MX$31.91

25.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 A$2.54

$1.61 MX$27.80

13.66%

Eggs

$4.50 A$6.26

$2.57 MX$44.49

75.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 A$11.70

$8.49 MX$147

-0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 A$11.43

$8.49 MX$147

-3.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 A$18.72

$10.99 MX$190

22.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 A$4.71

$2.73 MX$47.23

24.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.02

$1.50 MX$25.90

92.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.63

$1.96 MX$33.91

33.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 A$5.88

$2.12 MX$36.68

99.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.49

$1.86 MX$32.28

34.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.17

$2.17 MX$37.65

5.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.09

$1.07 MX$18.58

107.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 A$1.80

$1.05 MX$18.17

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.02 A$44.51

$4.19 MX$72.6

664.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.31 A$19.90

$10.28 MX$178

39.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.71 A$6.55

$1.67 MX$28.85

182.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.71

$2.49 MX$43.09

65.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$0.54 MX$9.37

-37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.34 A$38.01

$26.27 MX$455

4.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 A$3.23

$3.10 MX$53.8

-25.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.22

$2.46 MX$42.64

-35.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 A$47.31

$3.24 MX$56.0

950.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.72

$1.26 MX$21.82

-2.38%

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

$28.4K A$39.4K

$30.2K MX$522.5K

-5.95%

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

$22.6K A$31.4K

$23.4K MX$406.1K

-3.78%

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

$147 A$205

$84.0 MX$1,455

75.20%

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

$25.93 A$36.04

$22.21 MX$385

16.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 A$75.4

$29.65 MX$514

82.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.36 A$68.6

$52.6 MX$912

-6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 A$24.19

$18.34 MX$318

-5.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 A$18.36

$4.95 MX$85.7

166.87%

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

$1,595 A$2,217

$198 MX$3,436

704.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,929 A$12.4K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

67.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 A$99.6

$35.95 MX$623

99.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 A$59.7

$40.06 MX$694

7.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 A$129

$78.8 MX$1,365

17.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$142

$86.5 MX$1,498

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 A$2,274

$977 MX$16.9K

67.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 A$1,726

$471 MX$8,153

163.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,631 A$3,657

$1,595 MX$27.6K

64.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 A$2,684

$1,215 MX$21.0K

58.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.4K

$4,032 MX$69.8K

102.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,407 A$7,516

$6,579 MX$113.9K

-17.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,271 A$5,937

$714 MX$12.4K

498.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

11.42

-45.36%

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

Last update for Brisbane: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,636 in Brisbane versus $977 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.

Salaries run about 498% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Brisbane versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $252 – 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

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

Brisbane costs about 82% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,450 per month in Brisbane and $1,891 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 33% more in Brisbane, 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 $72.0 in Brisbane 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 $1,261, than in Brisbane at $2,300. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,261 versus $2,300 in Brisbane. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.