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: $2,499 in Bunbury versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,564 in Bunbury versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,630 in Bunbury versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bunbury is roughly 97% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bunbury is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.62 A$29.08

$11.60 MX$200

77.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$120

$47.11 MX$812

80.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 A$15.25

$11.88 MX$205

-9.01%

Cappuccino

$4.25 A$5.99

$3.98 MX$68.6

6.78%

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

$2.92 A$4.12

$1.43 MX$24.60

104.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.15

$0.82 MX$14.22

171.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.06

$3.19 MX$55.0

168.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.78

$6.79 MX$117

23.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.58

$1.68 MX$28.89

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 A$1.54

$2.20 MX$37.88

-50.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.87

$1.71 MX$29.45

19.30%

Eggs

$5.31 A$7.48

$2.74 MX$47.26

93.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 A$12.84

$9.58 MX$165

-5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 A$12.27

$9.01 MX$155

-3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 A$12.41

$12.81 MX$221

-31.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 A$5.25

$2.89 MX$49.81

28.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.69

$1.50 MX$25.81

122.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.13

$2.15 MX$37.03

36.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.60

$2.26 MX$38.96

107.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.08

$1.98 MX$34.15

45.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.84

$1.99 MX$34.30

1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 A$2.57

$1.23 MX$21.28

47.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 A$1.13

$1.20 MX$20.63

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.03 A$36.71

$4.55 MX$78.5

472.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 A$10.05

$10.37 MX$179

-31.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 A$6.21

$1.62 MX$27.91

171.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 A$5.06

$2.88 MX$49.67

24.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 A$4.31

$0.60 MX$10.35

410.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 A$121

$28.80 MX$497

197.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.24

$5.39 MX$92.9

-30.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 A$2.10

$3.73 MX$64.3

-60.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.10 A$49.51

$5.77 MX$99.5

508.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.68

$1.54 MX$26.48

-22.73%

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

$21.1K A$29.8K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

-6.27%

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

$19.3K A$27.2K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-26.11%

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

$163 A$230

$91.4 MX$1,576

78.66%

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

$33.59 A$47.37

$25.20 MX$435

33.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 A$89.4

$31.24 MX$539

102.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 A$78.9

$67.2 MX$1,159

-16.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 A$25.69

$29.11 MX$502

-37.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 A$19.80

$4.86 MX$83.8

188.89%

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

$2,387 A$3,366

$224 MX$3,856

967.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K A$33.5K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

461.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$109

$47.10 MX$812

64.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.6 A$92.5

$44.29 MX$764

48.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$170

$80.1 MX$1,381

50.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 A$137

$92.7 MX$1,598

5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 A$2,010

$1,063 MX$18.3K

34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,741

$390 MX$6,728

216.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 A$3,176

$2,149 MX$37.1K

4.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 A$2,567

$1,272 MX$21.9K

43.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,201 A$10.2K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

79.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,016 A$7,074

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-22.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 A$6,645

$758 MX$13.1K

521.45%

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 Bunbury: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,425 in Bunbury and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bunbury pays 521% 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: $85.0 in Bunbury vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 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

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 521% 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: $1,425 in Bunbury versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,387 in Bunbury versus $224 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,499 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 97% less than in Bunbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.