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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,317 per month in Cairns vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,472 per month in Cairns vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,627 per month in Cairns vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cairns costs about 79% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cairns sits 73% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 A$16.15

$11.73 MX$203

-1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 A$113

$41.62 MX$720

95.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 A$15.16

$10.64 MX$184

2.26%

Cappuccino

$3.75 A$5.23

$3.52 MX$60.9

6.53%

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

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.51 MX$26.12

88.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.21

$0.97 MX$16.84

137.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 A$8.96

$2.95 MX$51.0

117.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 A$9.70

$4.45 MX$77.0

56.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.42

$1.38 MX$23.93

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 A$3.40

$1.89 MX$32.72

29.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.74

$1.64 MX$28.32

63.41%

Eggs

$4.00 A$5.58

$2.51 MX$43.34

59.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 A$11.40

$8.34 MX$144

-1.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$12.90

$8.34 MX$144

11.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 A$17.78

$10.73 MX$186

18.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$2.60 MX$45.04

14.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.10

$1.46 MX$25.20

52.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.83

$1.90 MX$32.87

44.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.39 A$10.30

$2.08 MX$35.91

255.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.11

$1.78 MX$30.71

25.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.25

$2.19 MX$37.80

6.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.16

$1.04 MX$17.99

118.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 A$3.99

$1.08 MX$18.62

164.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.71 A$40.01

$4.08 MX$70.6

603.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 A$16.02

$10.32 MX$178

11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 A$4.74

$1.71 MX$29.61

98.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 A$4.86

$2.58 MX$44.54

35.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 A$4.56

$0.51 MX$8.81

541.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$90.5

$26.46 MX$458

145.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 A$9.26

$3.26 MX$56.4

103.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 A$4.44

$2.49 MX$43.09

28.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.95 A$47.31

$3.25 MX$56.2

944.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.53

$1.31 MX$22.61

-16.03%

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

$22.8K A$31.8K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-24.70%

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

$19.1K A$26.7K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-18.30%

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

$149 A$207

$82.9 MX$1,433

79.57%

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

$37.35 A$52.1

$22.22 MX$384

68.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$81.6

$29.34 MX$507

99.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 A$53.9

$51.6 MX$893

-25.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 A$22.23

$18.32 MX$317

-12.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 A$18.45

$5.07 MX$87.6

161.14%

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

$1,636 A$2,280

$201 MX$3,473

714.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

128.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 A$116

$36.92 MX$639

126.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 A$92.8

$39.79 MX$688

67.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$78.5 MX$1,357

28.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 A$194

$87.1 MX$1,506

59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 A$1,714

$973 MX$16.8K

26.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 A$1,548

$468 MX$8,090

137.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 A$2,769

$1,641 MX$28.4K

21.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 A$2,601

$1,221 MX$21.1K

52.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,707 A$9,347

$3,946 MX$68.3K

69.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,132 A$7,151

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-21.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,549 A$6,338

$664 MX$11.5K

585.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.96

11.42

-39.05%

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

Last update for Cairns: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,230 in Cairns versus $973 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 585% 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 $81.0 in Cairns versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 79% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,476 per month in Cairns and $1,945 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 43% 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 $81.0 in Cairns and $42.00 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 $1,297, than in Cairns at $2,317. 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 $1,297 versus $2,317 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.