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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,233 in Brookvale versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Brookvale versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,425 in Brookvale versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Brookvale is roughly 77% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brookvale is 68% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 A$22.99

$11.72 MX$203

37.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$113

$41.89 MX$726

89.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 A$13.79

$10.51 MX$182

-7.80%

Cappuccino

$3.40 A$4.84

$3.59 MX$62.1

-5.29%

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

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.51 MX$26.14

64.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 A$2.73

$0.92 MX$15.86

108.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 A$8.99

$2.96 MX$51.2

113.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 A$10.32

$4.41 MX$76.4

64.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.08

$1.40 MX$24.19

4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.80

$1.88 MX$32.65

42.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 A$2.63

$1.56 MX$27.01

18.59%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.06

$2.61 MX$45.21

63.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 A$12.78

$8.32 MX$144

7.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.25

$8.35 MX$145

2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 A$19.84

$10.86 MX$188

28.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.65

$2.71 MX$47.00

20.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.90

$1.51 MX$26.08

81.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$1.87 MX$32.46

59.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 A$6.60

$2.19 MX$37.95

111.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.24

$1.86 MX$32.19

22.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.25

$2.23 MX$38.65

2.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 A$3.19

$1.07 MX$18.51

109.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.09 MX$18.82

18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.58 A$43.52

$4.19 MX$72.6

629.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 A$19.53

$10.43 MX$181

31.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.64

$1.66 MX$28.72

180.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 A$7.40

$2.61 MX$45.26

99.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.63

$0.54 MX$9.39

372.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 A$93.8

$26.16 MX$453

151.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 A$5.49

$3.08 MX$53.3

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.21

$2.40 MX$41.67

-35.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.85 A$58.2

$3.13 MX$54.2

1205.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.31 MX$22.72

-12.21%

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

$28.3K A$40.3K

$29.8K MX$516.5K

-4.92%

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

$22.1K A$31.4K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

-5.28%

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

$202 A$288

$81.3 MX$1,408

149.11%

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

$29.71 A$42.30

$22.56 MX$391

31.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 A$76.3

$30.05 MX$521

78.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.82 A$69.5

$52.9 MX$917

-7.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 A$22.66

$18.39 MX$319

-13.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 A$19.56

$4.92 MX$85.3

179.27%

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

$1,733 A$2,466

$201 MX$3,480

762.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K A$19.0K

$5,175 MX$89.7K

157.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 A$99.3

$35.92 MX$622

94.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 A$80.6

$40.13 MX$695

41.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 A$142

$79.7 MX$1,381

24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 A$162

$86.5 MX$1,498

31.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 A$1,316

$978 MX$16.9K

-5.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 A$1,488

$470 MX$8,153

122.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 A$2,899

$1,651 MX$28.6K

23.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 A$2,406

$1,203 MX$20.9K

40.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,108 A$8,694

$3,953 MX$68.5K

54.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,999 A$7,116

$6,607 MX$114.5K

-24.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,379 A$1,963

$677 MX$11.7K

103.82%

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 Brookvale: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $924 in Brookvale and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brookvale pays 104% 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: $79.0 in Brookvale vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $252 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

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

Brookvale and Playa del Carmen differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,233 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 104% higher in Brookvale, 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: $924 in Brookvale versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,233 per month in Brookvale versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 152% less than in Brookvale. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,233 in Brookvale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Brookvale. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brookvale 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 77% less than in Brookvale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.