Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,501 in Cairns, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index
59

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

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Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,501

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairns 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 Cairns and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Cairns vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cairns $2,501
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Cairns vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cairns $3,716
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,931 per month in Cairns vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cairns $4,931
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Cairns costs about 107% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairns sits 85% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 A$25.00

$10.76 MX$199

61.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 A$138

$43.03 MX$795

122.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 A$18.15

$11.79 MX$218

7.04%

Cappuccino

$4.23 A$6.08

$3.87 MX$71.4

9.30%

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

$3.27 A$4.70

$1.37 MX$25.29

138.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 A$3.95

$0.84 MX$15.44

227.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 A$10.25

$3.10 MX$57.3

130.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 A$12.07

$5.07 MX$93.6

65.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.64

$1.44 MX$26.55

27.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 A$3.87

$2.23 MX$41.23

20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.62

$1.47 MX$27.17

71.43%

Eggs

$5.33 A$7.68

$2.53 MX$46.71

110.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.04

$7.30 MX$135

24.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 A$19.49

$7.86 MX$145

72.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 A$21.44

$12.79 MX$236

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 A$6.02

$2.90 MX$53.6

44.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.09

$1.44 MX$26.53

97.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 A$5.32

$2.55 MX$47.07

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 A$8.50

$2.06 MX$38.03

186.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.00 MX$36.97

23.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$2.01 MX$37.07

27.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 A$4.09

$1.19 MX$22.02

138.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.26 MX$23.23

99.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.51 A$64.1

$4.40 MX$81.4

911.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 A$19.95

$9.59 MX$177

44.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 A$5.25

$1.59 MX$29.41

129.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.55

$2.81 MX$51.9

86.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 A$5.13

$0.57 MX$10.47

524.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.08 A$21.70

$27.82 MX$514

-45.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 A$3.61

$4.98 MX$92.1

-49.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 A$2.83

$3.50 MX$64.6

-43.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 A$59.7

$5.40 MX$99.8

667.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.77

$1.47 MX$27.08

-16.33%

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

$30.8K A$44.3K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

46.74%

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

$40.7K A$58.6K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

70.41%

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

$165 A$238

$84.2 MX$1,556

96.45%

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

$34.27 A$49.32

$23.99 MX$443

42.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 A$93.4

$29.02 MX$536

123.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.80 A$63.0

$63.0 MX$1,164

-30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.43 A$39.48

$29.14 MX$539

-5.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 A$19.79

$4.94 MX$91.3

178.34%

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

$2,100 A$3,022

$204 MX$3,763

931.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K A$20.3K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

257.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 A$130

$43.60 MX$806

107.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 A$103

$43.12 MX$797

65.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$179

$75.8 MX$1,400

63.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$88.6 MX$1,637

46.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 A$2,071

$1,008 MX$18.6K

42.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,760

$374 MX$6,911

227.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,270 A$3,267

$1,708 MX$31.6K

32.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 A$2,791

$1,106 MX$20.4K

75.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,429 A$9,251

$3,944 MX$72.9K

62.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 A$7,078

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-20.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,424 A$6,366

$754 MX$13.9K

486.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

11.45

-44.80%

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

Last update for Cairns: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 69.4% $849

Groceries & Markets

Cairns

$409 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 36.8% $151

Eating Out

Cairns

$304 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 33.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairns

$265 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 48.1% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Cairns

$187 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 39.6% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Cairns

$71 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 2.2% $1.6

Getting Around

Cairns

$42 1.7%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 26.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,439 in Cairns versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 487% higher in Cairns, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cairns versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Cairns

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

10:16 10:16 AM

15 h behind Cairns

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,181

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairns Playa del Carmen 14,460 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairns
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

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

Cairns costs about 107% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,751 per month in Cairns and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Cairns and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Cairns at $2,501. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,210 versus $2,501 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.