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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,155 in Cranbourne versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,194 in Cranbourne versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,233 in Cranbourne versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cranbourne is roughly 72% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cranbourne is 61% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.03 A$12.94

$11.99 MX$210

-24.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 A$112

$41.78 MX$733

86.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 A$16.33

$10.75 MX$189

6.05%

Cappuccino

$1.92 A$2.75

$3.50 MX$61.3

-45.14%

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

$3.17 A$4.55

$1.45 MX$25.41

118.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.29

$0.88 MX$15.52

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 A$11.94

$2.95 MX$51.7

182.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 A$10.14

$4.51 MX$79.1

56.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.69

$1.43 MX$25.12

-17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 A$3.39

$1.84 MX$32.23

28.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.88

$1.57 MX$27.51

28.03%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.14

$2.51 MX$44.06

70.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 A$12.47

$8.28 MX$145

5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 A$12.14

$8.43 MX$148

0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.50 A$19.34

$10.68 MX$187

26.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.65

$2.61 MX$45.76

24.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.04

$1.44 MX$25.22

95.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.09

$1.96 MX$34.41

45.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 A$5.73

$2.09 MX$36.74

91.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.45

$1.85 MX$32.47

30.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.11

$2.17 MX$38.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 A$3.13

$1.03 MX$18.09

111.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 A$0.82

$1.07 MX$18.84

-46.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.41 A$43.57

$4.10 MX$72.0

641.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.17 A$31.77

$10.17 MX$178

117.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.53

$1.68 MX$29.38

170.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 A$7.65

$2.53 MX$44.31

111.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 A$3.79

$0.51 MX$8.93

417.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 A$93.9

$26.04 MX$457

151.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$5.00

$3.23 MX$56.7

8.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$2.41 MX$42.19

-35.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 A$47.99

$3.23 MX$56.6

936.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.90

$1.32 MX$23.17

0.76%

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

$28.6K A$41.0K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-3.74%

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

$22.5K A$32.3K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-4.81%

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

$180 A$258

$82.0 MX$1,439

119.38%

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

$27.36 A$39.20

$22.95 MX$403

19.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 A$74.5

$30.11 MX$528

72.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.63 A$56.8

$52.0 MX$912

-23.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 A$22.72

$18.53 MX$325

-14.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 A$18.69

$4.98 MX$87.3

161.85%

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

$1,635 A$2,342

$197 MX$3,463

727.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.6K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

129.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 A$98.8

$35.60 MX$624

93.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.4

$40.33 MX$707

25.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 A$142

$78.8 MX$1,381

25.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$88.9 MX$1,560

22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 A$1,808

$947 MX$16.6K

33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 A$1,537

$474 MX$8,314

126.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 A$2,883

$1,644 MX$28.8K

22.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 A$2,362

$1,211 MX$21.2K

36.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,317 A$9,050

$4,056 MX$71.1K

55.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,659 A$6,675

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-27.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,738 A$2,490

$654 MX$11.5K

165.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Cranbourne: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,262 in Cranbourne and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cranbourne pays 166% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78.0 in Cranbourne vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 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

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

Cranbourne and Playa del Carmen differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,155 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 166% higher in Cranbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,262 in Cranbourne versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,635 in Cranbourne versus $197 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 36% higher in Cranbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,155 in Cranbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cranbourne. 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, Cranbourne 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 72% less than in Cranbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.