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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,807 in Dunedin versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Dunedin versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,796 in Dunedin versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Dunedin is roughly 39% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dunedin is 35% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 NZ$20.65

$11.73 MX$203

4.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 NZ$123

$41.62 MX$720

75.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 NZ$18.35

$10.64 MX$184

2.16%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NZ$5.82

$3.52 MX$60.9

-1.99%

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

$2.18 NZ$3.67

$1.51 MX$26.12

44.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 NZ$3.38

$0.97 MX$16.84

106.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 NZ$12.16

$2.95 MX$51.0

144.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 NZ$10.08

$4.45 MX$77.0

34.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$1.38 MX$23.93

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.24

$1.89 MX$32.72

1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.16

$1.64 MX$28.32

14.02%

Eggs

$5.73 NZ$9.67

$2.51 MX$43.34

128.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 NZ$13.62

$8.34 MX$144

-3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 NZ$18.30

$8.34 MX$144

29.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 NZ$22.23

$10.73 MX$186

22.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$4.94

$2.60 MX$45.04

12.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.81

$1.46 MX$25.20

54.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 NZ$5.78

$1.90 MX$32.87

80.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 NZ$7.51

$2.08 MX$35.91

113.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.34

$1.78 MX$30.71

11.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.41

$2.19 MX$37.80

-7.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NZ$4.33

$1.04 MX$17.99

146.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NZ$1.82

$1.08 MX$18.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.76 NZ$40.11

$4.08 MX$70.6

482.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 NZ$15.88

$10.32 MX$178

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 NZ$4.31

$1.71 MX$29.61

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 NZ$6.19

$2.58 MX$44.54

41.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 NZ$2.08

$0.51 MX$8.81

141.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 NZ$124

$26.46 MX$458

178.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 NZ$10.36

$3.26 MX$56.4

88.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 NZ$1.94

$2.49 MX$43.09

-53.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 NZ$50.3

$3.25 MX$56.2

816.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.81

$1.31 MX$22.61

26.72%

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

$20.0K NZ$33.7K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-34.01%

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

$25.4K NZ$42.9K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

8.36%

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

$102 NZ$173

$82.9 MX$1,433

23.37%

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

$35.87 NZ$60.6

$22.22 MX$384

61.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 NZ$91.7

$29.34 MX$507

85.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 NZ$88.1

$51.6 MX$893

1.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.13 NZ$10.36

$18.32 MX$317

-66.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.67 NZ$16.32

$5.07 MX$87.6

90.73%

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

$575 NZ$971

$201 MX$3,473

186.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

128.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 NZ$114

$36.92 MX$639

82.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 NZ$60.0

$39.79 MX$688

-10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 NZ$159

$78.5 MX$1,357

20.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$205

$87.1 MX$1,506

39.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 NZ$1,493

$973 MX$16.8K

-9.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 NZ$1,278

$468 MX$8,090

61.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 NZ$2,501

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-9.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 NZ$2,250

$1,221 MX$21.1K

9.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,023 NZ$5,104

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-23.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,045 NZ$3,452

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-68.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,611 NZ$4,409

$664 MX$11.5K

293.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

11.42

-38.09%

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

Last update for Dunedin: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Dunedin and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 293% 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: $73.0 in Dunedin vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 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

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

Dunedin and Playa del Carmen differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,807 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Dunedin pays 293% more on average, 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: $884 in Dunedin versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 178% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $575 in Dunedin versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,807 in Dunedin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. 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, Dunedin 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 39% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.