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 $2,298 per month in Cairns vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,379 per month in Cairns vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,460 per month in Cairns vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Cairns costs about 83% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cairns sits 72% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 A$16.71

$11.99 MX$210

-2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 A$115

$41.78 MX$731

92.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 A$15.28

$10.75 MX$188

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$3.88 A$5.55

$3.50 MX$61.1

10.86%

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

$2.88 A$4.12

$1.45 MX$25.33

98.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.22

$0.88 MX$15.47

155.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 A$9.14

$2.95 MX$51.6

116.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 A$10.45

$4.51 MX$78.9

61.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.43 MX$25.04

14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 A$3.43

$1.84 MX$32.13

30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.97

$1.57 MX$27.42

76.43%

Eggs

$4.09 A$5.85

$2.51 MX$43.92

62.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 A$11.50

$8.28 MX$145

-3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.05

$8.43 MX$147

8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 A$17.95

$10.68 MX$187

17.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.22

$2.61 MX$45.62

12.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.26

$1.44 MX$25.15

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.81

$1.96 MX$34.31

35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.05 A$10.09

$2.09 MX$36.62

237.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.17

$1.85 MX$32.37

19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.20

$2.17 MX$37.90

3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.26

$1.03 MX$18.04

121.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.13

$1.07 MX$18.78

170.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.51 A$42.26

$4.10 MX$71.7

619.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 A$18.45

$10.17 MX$178

26.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 A$4.63

$1.68 MX$29.29

92.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 A$5.18

$2.53 MX$44.17

43.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 A$4.71

$0.51 MX$8.90

545.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 A$93.6

$26.04 MX$455

151.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 A$9.50

$3.23 MX$56.5

105.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 A$4.47

$2.41 MX$42.06

29.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 A$48.49

$3.23 MX$56.5

948.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.57

$1.32 MX$23.10

-16.67%

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

$22.6K A$32.3K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

-23.95%

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

$19.6K A$28.1K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

-17.02%

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

$153 A$218

$82.0 MX$1,434

85.97%

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

$37.28 A$53.4

$22.95 MX$401

62.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 A$86.6

$30.11 MX$527

100.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.42 A$55.0

$52.0 MX$909

-26.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 A$22.59

$18.53 MX$324

-14.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 A$18.80

$4.98 MX$87.0

163.65%

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

$1,636 A$2,342

$197 MX$3,452

728.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.2K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

124.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 A$122

$35.60 MX$622

139.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 A$95.7

$40.33 MX$705

65.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 A$142

$78.8 MX$1,377

25.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$193

$88.9 MX$1,555

51.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,768

$947 MX$16.6K

30.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 A$1,563

$474 MX$8,288

130.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,922

$1,644 MX$28.7K

24.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 A$2,677

$1,211 MX$21.2K

54.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,338 A$9,074

$4,056 MX$70.9K

56.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,904 A$7,021

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-24.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,324 A$6,191

$654 MX$11.4K

561.28%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,235 in Cairns versus $947 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 561% 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: $353 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 83% 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 $3,447 per month in Cairns and $1,884 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 42% 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 $1,256, than in Cairns at $2,298. 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 $1,256 versus $2,298 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.