Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dargaville and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,134 in Dargaville, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Dargaville
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Dargaville Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Dargaville

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,134

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,134 in Dargaville versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Dargaville $2,134
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Dargaville versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Dargaville $3,019
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,904 in Dargaville versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Dargaville $3,904
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Dargaville is roughly 77% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dargaville is 57% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 NZ$25.60

$10.92 MX$204

33.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 NZ$121

$43.37 MX$810

58.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 NZ$15.93

$11.78 MX$220

-23.17%

Cappuccino

$3.69 NZ$6.50

$3.81 MX$71.2

-3.15%

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

$2.18 NZ$3.84

$1.28 MX$23.96

70.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.68

$0.78 MX$14.63

167.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 NZ$11.10

$3.17 MX$59.2

99.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 NZ$9.91

$4.93 MX$92.2

14.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 NZ$3.61

$1.41 MX$26.28

45.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NZ$3.45

$2.22 MX$41.43

-11.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.68

$1.42 MX$26.48

7.04%

Eggs

$6.70 NZ$11.79

$2.52 MX$47.14

165.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 NZ$14.95

$7.26 MX$136

16.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 NZ$18.43

$7.70 MX$144

35.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 NZ$22.34

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 NZ$4.66

$2.78 MX$52.0

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.76

$1.37 MX$25.56

56.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.14

$2.55 MX$47.66

14.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 NZ$10.32

$2.12 MX$39.67

176.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$3.04

$1.94 MX$36.22

-10.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 NZ$2.43

$1.89 MX$35.24

-26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 NZ$4.38

$1.15 MX$21.42

116.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.07

$1.18 MX$22.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.67 NZ$46.94

$4.30 MX$80.3

520.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 NZ$18.03

$9.95 MX$186

2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 NZ$5.32

$1.58 MX$29.59

91.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 NZ$5.50

$2.67 MX$49.91

17.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 NZ$3.33

$0.55 MX$10.34

243.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 NZ$203

$26.62 MX$497

332.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 NZ$4.25

$4.97 MX$92.9

-51.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.18

$3.33 MX$62.2

-45.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.35 NZ$46.38

$5.36 MX$100

391.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 NZ$2.63

$1.44 MX$26.98

3.47%

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

$25.5K NZ$44.8K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

23.26%

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

$23.7K NZ$41.7K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

1.02%

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

$128 NZ$225

$84.8 MX$1,584

51.04%

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

$29.15 NZ$51.3

$23.41 MX$437

24.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 NZ$90.3

$28.66 MX$535

78.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.91 NZ$68.5

$57.1 MX$1,066

-31.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 NZ$20.20

$5.14 MX$96.0

123.35%

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

$659 NZ$1,159

$207 MX$3,860

218.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NZ$25.7K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

272.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$119

$43.35 MX$810

55.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.09 NZ$68.8

$41.44 MX$774

-5.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 NZ$160

$74.2 MX$1,386

22.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 NZ$203

$89.3 MX$1,668

29.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 NZ$1,981

$980 MX$18.3K

14.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 NZ$1,780

$381 MX$7,116

165.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 NZ$2,471

$1,708 MX$31.9K

-17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 NZ$2,379

$1,075 MX$20.1K

25.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,216 NZ$7,421

$3,943 MX$73.7K

6.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,111 NZ$5,475

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-49.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.83

11.45

-49.08%

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

Last update for Dargaville: October 25, 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

Dargaville

$1K 47.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 62.3% $630

Groceries & Markets

Dargaville

$330 15.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 22.8% $75

Eating Out

Dargaville

$248 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 18.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dargaville

$209 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 34.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Dargaville

$141 6.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 20.6% $29

Getting Around

Dargaville

$134 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 62.4% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Dargaville

$62 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 8.8% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Dargaville and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Dargaville vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Dargaville

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

18 h behind Dargaville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,600

149,923

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 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 NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dargaville Playa del Carmen 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Dargaville
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

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

Dargaville and Playa del Carmen differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,134 vs $1,204 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 $3,201 in Dargaville and $1,806 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: $1,125 in Dargaville versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $659 in Dargaville versus $207 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 29% higher in Dargaville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,134 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.