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: $1,892 in Dargaville versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,929 in Dargaville versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,966 in Dargaville versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dargaville is roughly 50% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dargaville is 41% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 NZ$25.83

$11.67 MX$203

29.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 NZ$135

$41.88 MX$728

88.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 NZ$16.41

$10.40 MX$181

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.88

$3.61 MX$62.9

-4.71%

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

$2.33 NZ$3.99

$1.47 MX$25.54

58.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 NZ$3.56

$0.91 MX$15.86

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 NZ$12.17

$3.03 MX$52.8

134.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 NZ$10.63

$4.47 MX$77.7

39.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 NZ$3.22

$1.38 MX$23.91

36.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.28

$1.84 MX$32.04

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.16

$1.61 MX$27.91

14.91%

Eggs

$6.24 NZ$10.67

$2.57 MX$44.67

142.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 NZ$13.89

$8.49 MX$148

-4.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 NZ$16.75

$8.49 MX$148

15.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 NZ$21.70

$10.99 MX$191

15.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 NZ$4.74

$2.73 MX$47.42

1.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.75

$1.50 MX$26.01

46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.24

$1.96 MX$34.05

56.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 NZ$7.73

$2.12 MX$36.83

113.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.43

$1.86 MX$32.41

7.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.24

$2.17 MX$37.80

-12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$3.92

$1.07 MX$18.65

114.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.97

$1.05 MX$18.24

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.50 NZ$41.89

$4.19 MX$72.9

484.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 NZ$18.62

$10.28 MX$179

5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 NZ$4.40

$1.67 MX$28.97

53.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 NZ$6.08

$2.49 MX$43.27

42.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 NZ$3.66

$0.54 MX$9.41

296.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NZ$111

$26.27 MX$457

148.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NZ$4.67

$3.10 MX$54.0

-11.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.15

$2.46 MX$42.81

-25.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.55 NZ$60.8

$3.24 MX$56.3

997.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.86

$1.26 MX$21.91

32.54%

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

$28.3K NZ$48.3K

$30.2K MX$524.6K

-6.29%

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

$21.9K NZ$37.4K

$23.4K MX$407.7K

-6.62%

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

$143 NZ$244

$84.0 MX$1,461

69.76%

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

$36.09 NZ$61.7

$22.21 MX$386

62.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$29.65 MX$516

75.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NZ$62.6

$52.6 MX$915

-30.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.93 NZ$20.39

$18.34 MX$319

-34.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 NZ$18.23

$4.95 MX$86.0

115.35%

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

$734 NZ$1,255

$198 MX$3,449

270.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

$5,322 MX$92.5K

126.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 NZ$117

$35.95 MX$625

90.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.35 NZ$63.9

$40.06 MX$697

-6.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 NZ$161

$78.8 MX$1,370

19.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NZ$199

$86.5 MX$1,504

34.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 NZ$1,661

$977 MX$17.0K

-0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 NZ$1,317

$471 MX$8,186

63.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NZ$2,697

$1,595 MX$27.7K

-1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 NZ$2,431

$1,215 MX$21.1K

17.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,973 NZ$8,504

$4,032 MX$70.1K

23.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,049 NZ$5,213

$6,579 MX$114.4K

-53.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Dargaville and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79 in Dargaville vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 50% in total monthly costs ($1,892 vs $1,261 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 $2,839 in Dargaville and $1,891 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: $972 in Dargaville versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $734 in Dargaville versus $198 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 27% higher in Dargaville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,892 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 50% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.