Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Double Bay and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,538 in Double Bay, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Double Bay, Australia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Double Bay
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,538
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,538 per month in Double Bay vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Double Bay $2,538
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,676 per month in Double Bay vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Double Bay $3,676
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,815 per month in Double Bay vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Double Bay $4,815
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Double Bay costs about 111% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Double Bay sits 88% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.83 A$25.46
$10.67 MX$198
67.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.1 A$130
$43.80 MX$813
108.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.57 A$15.10
$11.79 MX$219
-10.35%
Cappuccino
$3.86 A$5.51
$3.79 MX$70.3
1.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 A$3.94
$1.30 MX$24.09
112.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 A$3.24
$0.83 MX$15.48
173.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.13 A$11.61
$3.15 MX$58.4
158.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.54 A$10.77
$4.93 MX$91.6
52.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.54 A$2.20
$1.41 MX$26.16
9.22%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 A$4.07
$2.20 MX$40.77
29.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 A$3.55
$1.47 MX$27.35
69.39%
Eggs
$5.20 A$7.43
$2.50 MX$46.37
108.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.04 A$17.19
$7.29 MX$135
65.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.76 A$13.94
$7.95 MX$148
22.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.53 A$22.17
$12.86 MX$239
20.76%
Apples (1kg)
$4.08 A$5.83
$2.90 MX$53.8
40.69%
Banana (1kg)
$3.10 A$4.43
$1.38 MX$25.69
124.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.32 A$4.74
$2.49 MX$46.26
33.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.28 A$6.11
$2.03 MX$37.70
110.84%
Potato (1kg)
$3.06 A$4.37
$2.02 MX$37.61
51.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 A$3.42
$1.90 MX$35.35
25.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.37 A$3.38
$1.14 MX$21.25
107.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 A$1.66
$1.24 MX$23.01
-5.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.22 A$64.6
$4.27 MX$79.3
959.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.13 A$20.18
$9.81 MX$182
44.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.09 A$5.84
$1.59 MX$29.45
157.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 A$5.94
$2.75 MX$51.0
51.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.80 A$4.00
$0.51 MX$9.56
449.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.8 A$121
$27.39 MX$509
209.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.47 A$4.96
$4.76 MX$88.4
-27.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 A$2.26
$3.25 MX$60.3
-51.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.88 A$58.4
$5.39 MX$100
658.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 A$1.90
$1.53 MX$28.38
-13.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K A$40.1K
$21.2K MX$393.9K
32.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K A$37.4K
$23.3K MX$432.0K
12.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 A$261
$83.5 MX$1,550
118.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.84 A$38.33
$23.19 MX$431
15.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.9 A$81.2
$27.61 MX$513
105.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.0 A$81.4
$56.4 MX$1,048
0.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.99 A$25.69
$28.19 MX$524
-36.18%
Cinema Ticket
$15.63 A$22.32
$5.00 MX$92.9
212.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,366 A$3,378
$207 MX$3,846
1042.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.2K A$28.8K
$5,231 MX$97.1K
285.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.8 A$111
$43.45 MX$807
78.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 A$82.0
$42.54 MX$790
34.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 A$151
$72.8 MX$1,351
45.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 A$185
$88.4 MX$1,641
46.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,378 A$1,969
$995 MX$18.5K
38.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 A$1,768
$382 MX$7,102
223.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,230 A$3,184
$1,674 MX$31.1K
33.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,832 A$2,616
$1,081 MX$20.1K
69.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,920 A$8,454
$3,909 MX$72.6K
51.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,936 A$7,048
$6,138 MX$114.0K
-19.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Double Bay
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.92
11.45
-48.30%

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

Last update for Double Bay: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Double Bay
$1.2K
Playa del Carmen
$382 69.1% $856
Groceries & Markets
Double Bay
$374
Playa del Carmen
$257 31.2% $117
Eating Out
Double Bay
$297
Playa del Carmen
$200 32.5% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Double Bay
$266
Playa del Carmen
$134 49.6% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Double Bay
$167
Playa del Carmen
$111 33.2% $55
Getting Around
Double Bay
$107
Playa del Carmen
$50 53% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Double Bay
$88
Playa del Carmen
$66 24.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Double Bay versus $995 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Double Bay versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Double Bay
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
01:08 1:08 AM
09:08 9:08 AM
16 h behind Double Bay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,651
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Double Bay Playa del Carmen 14,140 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Double Bay
  • 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
Double Bay vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Double Bay?
Yes – Double Bay is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,806 per month in Double Bay and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,378 in Double Bay.
Is eating out cheaper in Double Bay or in Playa del Carmen?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Double Bay and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Double Bay and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,538 in Double Bay and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 53% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Double Bay or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Double Bay at $2,538. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Double Bay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Double Bay or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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