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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Dargaville versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,896 in Dargaville versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,944 in Dargaville versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dargaville is roughly 47% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dargaville is 38% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 NZ$26.38

$11.95 MX$209

27.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 NZ$136

$41.94 MX$734

86.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 NZ$16.88

$10.42 MX$182

-6.43%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.96

$3.51 MX$61.5

-1.99%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.08

$1.52 MX$26.56

54.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.59

$0.91 MX$15.95

127.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 NZ$12.78

$3.04 MX$53.2

142.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 NZ$11.18

$4.37 MX$76.5

47.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.25

$1.42 MX$24.89

32.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NZ$3.30

$1.83 MX$32.07

3.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.20

$1.63 MX$28.63

13.50%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$10.94

$2.54 MX$44.48

148.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 NZ$14.04

$8.57 MX$150

-5.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 NZ$17.01

$8.49 MX$149

15.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 NZ$22.50

$10.80 MX$189

20.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 NZ$4.67

$2.75 MX$48.25

-2.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.82

$1.44 MX$25.16

52.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NZ$5.20

$1.89 MX$33.04

58.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 NZ$8.19

$2.17 MX$38.01

117.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.57

$1.78 MX$31.17

15.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.39

$2.22 MX$38.96

-11.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.90

$1.07 MX$18.72

110.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.92

$1.08 MX$18.91

2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.73 NZ$41.09

$4.15 MX$72.6

471.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.16 NZ$15.87

$10.45 MX$183

-12.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 NZ$4.34

$1.74 MX$30.53

44.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 NZ$6.25

$2.58 MX$45.21

39.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 NZ$3.74

$0.51 MX$8.99

323.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 NZ$110

$25.94 MX$454

145.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NZ$4.56

$3.21 MX$56.2

-18.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NZ$3.23

$2.50 MX$43.83

-25.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.79 NZ$60.2

$3.19 MX$55.8

990.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.87

$1.26 MX$22.01

31.75%

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

$28.3K NZ$49.0K

$29.7K MX$520.0K

-4.73%

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

$22.3K NZ$38.6K

$23.7K MX$414.8K

-5.98%

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

$141 NZ$245

$82.0 MX$1,437

72.27%

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

$35.39 NZ$61.3

$22.73 MX$398

55.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$90.2

$29.42 MX$515

77.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 NZ$64.3

$52.2 MX$914

-28.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 NZ$21.05

$18.45 MX$323

-34.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 NZ$18.92

$4.93 MX$86.4

121.50%

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

$752 NZ$1,302

$202 MX$3,534

272.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$21.1K

$5,217 MX$91.4K

133.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 NZ$118

$35.93 MX$629

89.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.02 NZ$64.1

$40.33 MX$706

-8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 NZ$165

$79.9 MX$1,399

19.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NZ$201

$89.3 MX$1,564

29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$988 NZ$1,711

$948 MX$16.6K

4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 NZ$1,360

$465 MX$8,150

68.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NZ$2,730

$1,630 MX$28.5K

-3.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 NZ$2,460

$1,193 MX$20.9K

19.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,321 NZ$7,482

$3,933 MX$68.9K

9.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 NZ$5,500

$6,428 MX$112.6K

-50.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

11.42

-40.98%

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

Last update for Dargaville: July 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $988 in Dargaville and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Dargaville vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $252 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

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

Dargaville and Playa del Carmen differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,848 vs $1,259 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,772 in Dargaville and $1,888 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $988 in Dargaville versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $752 in Dargaville versus $202 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 25% higher in Dargaville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,848 in Dargaville, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dargaville. 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, Dargaville 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 47% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.