Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,886 in Canberra, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
Learn more

Canberra Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,886 per month in Canberra vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Canberra $2,886
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,020 per month in Canberra vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Canberra $4,020
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,153 per month in Canberra vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Canberra $5,153
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Canberra costs about 140% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Canberra sits 112% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 A$29.53

$10.92 MX$204

90.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 A$128

$43.37 MX$810

107.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.83

$11.78 MX$220

-11.46%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.67

$3.81 MX$71.2

4.72%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$1.28 MX$23.96

143.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 A$3.75

$0.78 MX$14.63

238.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.83

$3.17 MX$59.2

162.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 A$14.37

$4.93 MX$92.2

105.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.41 MX$26.28

5.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.47

$2.22 MX$41.43

41.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.42 MX$26.48

78.17%

Eggs

$5.32 A$7.57

$2.52 MX$47.14

111.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 A$18.69

$7.26 MX$136

81.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.19

$7.70 MX$144

29.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 A$21.44

$12.69 MX$237

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$2.78 MX$52.0

44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.50

$1.37 MX$25.56

131.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.04

$2.55 MX$47.66

38.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.29

$2.12 MX$39.67

141.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$1.94 MX$36.22

65.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.03

$1.89 MX$35.24

49.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.15 MX$21.42

115.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.18 MX$22.03

18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.06 A$62.7

$4.30 MX$80.3

924.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.28

$9.95 MX$186

43.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.85

$1.58 MX$29.59

204.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.08

$2.67 MX$49.91

112.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.60

$0.55 MX$10.34

360.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$135

$26.62 MX$497

255.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.68

$4.97 MX$92.9

-19.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$3.33 MX$62.2

-50.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.56 A$60.5

$5.36 MX$100

694.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.44 MX$26.98

-7.64%

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

$28.0K A$39.8K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

35.41%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

12.04%

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

$184 A$262

$84.8 MX$1,584

117.31%

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

$26.57 A$37.78

$23.41 MX$437

13.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 A$79.5

$28.66 MX$535

95.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 A$113

$57.1 MX$1,066

39.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 A$39.55

$28.91 MX$540

-3.80%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.78

$5.14 MX$96.0

211.67%

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

$2,460 A$3,498

$207 MX$3,860

1090.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.3K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

424.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$43.35 MX$810

75.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$81.7

$41.44 MX$774

38.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$74.2 MX$1,386

44.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$89.3 MX$1,668

48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,486

$980 MX$18.3K

78.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 A$2,126

$381 MX$7,116

292.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 A$4,358

$1,708 MX$31.9K

79.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,813

$1,075 MX$20.1K

84.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K A$15.8K

$3,943 MX$73.7K

181.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,790 A$11.1K

$6,158 MX$115.1K

26.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 A$6,139

$735 MX$13.7K

487.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

11.45

-48.03%

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

Last update for Canberra: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 74.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$397 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 35.9% $143

Eating Out

Canberra

$330 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 38.7% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$267 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 48.7% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$168 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 33.6% $56

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 56.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$111 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 39.6% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,749 in Canberra versus $980 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 in Canberra are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Canberra versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

06:05 6:05 AM

16 h behind Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Canberra Playa del Carmen 14,340 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Canberra
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,886 in Canberra, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 140% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,329 per month in Canberra and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,749 in Canberra.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,886 in Canberra and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 140%.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Canberra at $2,886. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canberra it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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