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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,990 in Bunbury versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,091 in Bunbury versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,192 in Bunbury versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bunbury is roughly 58% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bunbury is 50% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 A$22.72

$11.72 MX$203

36.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$112

$41.89 MX$725

87.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 A$14.64

$10.51 MX$182

-1.81%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.20

$3.59 MX$62.0

1.95%

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

$2.58 A$3.65

$1.51 MX$26.10

70.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 A$2.75

$0.92 MX$15.83

110.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 A$10.99

$2.96 MX$51.2

161.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 A$9.31

$4.41 MX$76.3

48.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 A$1.44

$1.40 MX$24.16

-27.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 A$1.41

$1.88 MX$32.60

-46.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.67

$1.56 MX$26.97

20.51%

Eggs

$4.53 A$6.42

$2.61 MX$45.14

73.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.84

$8.32 MX$144

0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 A$11.15

$8.35 MX$145

-5.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 A$11.09

$10.86 MX$188

-27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 A$4.81

$2.71 MX$46.93

25.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$1.51 MX$26.04

101.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.79

$1.87 MX$32.41

42.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.21

$2.19 MX$37.89

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.86 MX$32.14

30.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 A$2.41

$2.23 MX$38.59

-23.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 A$2.37

$1.07 MX$18.48

56.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 A$1.04

$1.09 MX$18.79

-32.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.24 A$34.40

$4.19 MX$72.4

478.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 A$10.12

$10.43 MX$180

-31.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 A$5.41

$1.66 MX$28.68

129.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 A$5.98

$2.61 MX$45.19

61.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 A$3.71

$0.54 MX$9.37

383.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 A$74.1

$26.16 MX$453

99.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 A$5.49

$3.08 MX$53.3

25.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 A$3.12

$2.40 MX$41.61

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 A$45.86

$3.13 MX$54.1

932.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.65

$1.31 MX$22.69

-10.69%

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

$19.7K A$28.0K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-33.79%

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

$17.4K A$24.7K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-25.51%

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

$147 A$208

$81.3 MX$1,406

80.73%

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

$28.54 A$40.49

$22.56 MX$390

26.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$78.7

$30.05 MX$520

84.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 A$74.1

$52.9 MX$915

-1.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.68 A$13.73

$18.39 MX$318

-47.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 A$18.74

$4.92 MX$85.1

168.29%

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

$1,780 A$2,526

$201 MX$3,474

786.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.0K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

130.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 A$99.1

$35.92 MX$622

94.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.97 A$69.5

$40.13 MX$694

22.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$79.7 MX$1,379

28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 A$125

$86.5 MX$1,496

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 A$1,276

$978 MX$16.9K

-8.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 A$1,298

$470 MX$8,140

94.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 A$2,424

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 A$2,408

$1,203 MX$20.8K

41.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,721 A$9,537

$3,953 MX$68.4K

70.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,597 A$7,941

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-15.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,732 A$6,715

$677 MX$11.7K

599.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

11.42

-43.78%

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

Last update for Bunbury: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Bunbury and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bunbury pays 599% 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 Bunbury vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 599% higher in Bunbury, 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: $900 in Bunbury versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,780 in Bunbury versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bunbury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,990 in Bunbury, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bunbury. 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 Bunbury, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bunbury 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 58% less than in Bunbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.