Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookvale and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,565 in Brookvale, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Brookvale
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Brookvale Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Brookvale

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,565

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brookvale and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brookvale and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,565 in Brookvale versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Brookvale $2,565
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,679 in Brookvale versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Brookvale $3,679
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,794 in Brookvale versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Brookvale $4,794
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Brookvale is roughly 113% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brookvale is 88% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.79 A$25.41

$10.92 MX$203

62.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 A$127

$43.37 MX$805

105.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 A$14.87

$11.78 MX$219

-11.63%

Cappuccino

$4.04 A$5.77

$3.81 MX$70.7

6.04%

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

$2.92 A$4.18

$1.28 MX$23.81

128.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.24

$0.78 MX$14.54

191.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 A$11.76

$3.17 MX$58.8

159.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 A$10.45

$4.93 MX$91.7

48.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.25

$1.41 MX$26.12

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

$2.22 MX$41.17

33.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.40

$1.42 MX$26.32

67.61%

Eggs

$5.16 A$7.36

$2.52 MX$46.85

104.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 A$16.91

$7.26 MX$135

63.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 A$13.65

$7.70 MX$143

24.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 A$22.30

$12.69 MX$236

23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 A$5.62

$2.78 MX$51.7

41.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.52

$1.37 MX$25.41

131.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.82

$2.55 MX$47.37

32.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.33

$2.12 MX$39.43

141.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$1.94 MX$36.00

65.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.10

$1.89 MX$35.02

51.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.32

$1.15 MX$21.29

101.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.18 MX$21.89

18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.39 A$63.4

$4.30 MX$79.8

932.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$20.35

$9.95 MX$185

43.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 A$5.74

$1.58 MX$29.41

154.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 A$5.78

$2.67 MX$49.60

51.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 A$4.44

$0.55 MX$10.28

465.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 A$125

$26.62 MX$494

227.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.99

$4.97 MX$92.3

-29.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

$3.33 MX$61.9

-52.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.58 A$58.0

$5.36 MX$99.5

657.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 A$1.98

$1.44 MX$26.82

-4.17%

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

$28.1K A$40.2K

$20.7K MX$383.8K

36.19%

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

$26.6K A$38.0K

$23.5K MX$435.8K

13.26%

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

$183 A$262

$84.8 MX$1,575

116.32%

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

$27.11 A$38.71

$23.41 MX$435

15.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$80.7

$28.66 MX$532

97.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 A$82.3

$57.1 MX$1,059

1.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 A$22.65

$28.91 MX$537

-45.14%

Cinema Ticket

$15.87 A$22.66

$5.14 MX$95.4

208.75%

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

$2,397 A$3,423

$207 MX$3,836

1060.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.2K

$3,927 MX$72.9K

419.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 A$109

$43.35 MX$805

75.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 A$82.3

$41.44 MX$770

39.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$74.2 MX$1,378

44.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$89.3 MX$1,657

42.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 A$1,414

$980 MX$18.2K

1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 A$1,787

$381 MX$7,072

228.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 A$3,165

$1,708 MX$31.7K

29.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 A$2,560

$1,075 MX$20.0K

66.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,889 A$8,410

$3,943 MX$73.2K

49.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,963 A$7,087

$6,158 MX$114.4K

-19.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,423 A$2,033

$735 MX$13.6K

93.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

11.45

-48.30%

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

Last update for Brookvale: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brookvale

$1.3K 48.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 69.6% $870

Groceries & Markets

Brookvale

$382 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 33.3% $127

Eating Out

Brookvale

$299 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 32.2% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brookvale

$267 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 48.7% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Brookvale

$165 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 32.5% $54

Getting Around

Brookvale

$111 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 54.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Brookvale

$89 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 24.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $990 in Brookvale and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brookvale pays 94% 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: $89 in Brookvale vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brookvale

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

20:21 8:21 PM

16 h behind Brookvale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,127

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brookvale Playa del Carmen 14,140 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Brookvale
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,565 in Brookvale and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 94% 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: $990 in Brookvale versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,565 per month in Brookvale versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 69% less than in Brookvale. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,565 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Brookvale on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.