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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Busselton versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Busselton versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,288 in Busselton versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Busselton is roughly 69% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busselton is 63% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.41 A$23.00

$11.73 MX$203

39.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 A$110

$41.62 MX$721

88.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 A$13.47

$10.64 MX$184

-9.68%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.02

$3.52 MX$61.0

1.70%

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

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.51 MX$26.17

66.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 A$2.70

$0.97 MX$16.87

98.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 A$10.67

$2.95 MX$51.1

157.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 A$9.08

$4.45 MX$77.2

45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 A$1.18

$1.38 MX$23.97

-39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 A$1.55

$1.89 MX$32.78

-41.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 A$1.43

$1.64 MX$28.37

-37.80%

Eggs

$3.04 A$4.27

$2.51 MX$43.42

21.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 A$11.58

$8.34 MX$145

-0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 A$11.15

$8.34 MX$145

-4.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$19.70

$10.73 MX$186

31.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.60

$2.60 MX$45.12

26.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.76

$1.46 MX$25.25

34.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.15

$1.90 MX$32.94

55.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.55

$2.08 MX$35.98

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$1.78 MX$30.77

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 A$2.50

$2.19 MX$37.87

-18.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 A$2.80

$1.04 MX$18.02

92.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$1.08 MX$18.66

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.35 A$20.10

$4.08 MX$70.7

251.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 A$18.35

$10.32 MX$179

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.95 A$5.53

$1.71 MX$29.67

130.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 A$5.93

$2.58 MX$44.63

64.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 A$3.70

$0.51 MX$8.83

417.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 A$89.5

$26.46 MX$459

141.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 A$5.66

$3.26 MX$56.5

23.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 A$2.98

$2.49 MX$43.17

-14.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.96 A$70.0

$3.25 MX$56.3

1437.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.64

$1.31 MX$22.65

-10.69%

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

$29.5K A$41.3K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-2.68%

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

$23.9K A$33.5K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

1.98%

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

$158 A$222

$82.9 MX$1,436

91.20%

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

$28.14 A$39.43

$22.22 MX$385

26.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.88 A$67.1

$29.34 MX$508

63.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.69 A$69.6

$51.6 MX$895

-3.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 A$21.75

$18.32 MX$317

-15.28%

Cinema Ticket

$16.50 A$23.12

$5.07 MX$87.8

225.44%

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

$1,799 A$2,521

$201 MX$3,480

795.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.0K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

133.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 A$89.6

$36.92 MX$640

73.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.06 A$67.3

$39.79 MX$689

20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$145

$78.5 MX$1,360

32.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$147

$87.1 MX$1,509

20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 A$1,765

$973 MX$16.9K

29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 A$1,515

$468 MX$8,105

131.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 A$2,880

$1,641 MX$28.4K

25.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 A$2,392

$1,221 MX$21.2K

39.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,637 A$9,300

$3,946 MX$68.4K

68.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,733 A$6,632

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-27.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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 Busselton: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Busselton and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Busselton vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $249 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

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

Busselton and Playa del Carmen differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($2,186 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,279 in Busselton and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Busselton versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,799 in Busselton 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 19% higher in Busselton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,186 in Busselton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Busselton. 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, Busselton 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 69% less than in Busselton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.