Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fremantle and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,509 in Fremantle, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fremantle, Australia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Fremantle
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,509
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,509 per month in Fremantle vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Fremantle $2,509
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,301 per month in Fremantle vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Fremantle $3,301
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,094 per month in Fremantle vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Fremantle $4,094
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Fremantle costs about 108% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fremantle sits 84% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.98 A$26.89
$10.92 MX$203
73.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.2 A$117
$43.37 MX$808
89.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.97 A$15.54
$11.78 MX$219
-6.88%
Cappuccino
$3.60 A$5.11
$3.81 MX$71.0
-5.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 A$4.05
$1.28 MX$23.89
123.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 A$2.66
$0.78 MX$14.58
141.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.91 A$11.21
$3.17 MX$59.0
149.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.36 A$11.84
$4.93 MX$91.9
69.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 A$2.32
$1.41 MX$26.20
16.31%
White Bread (500g)
$3.22 A$4.56
$2.22 MX$41.30
45.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.99 A$2.82
$1.42 MX$26.40
40.14%
Eggs
$5.16 A$7.31
$2.52 MX$47.00
104.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.41 A$13.34
$7.26 MX$135
29.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.20 A$11.61
$7.70 MX$143
6.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.06 A$17.08
$12.69 MX$236
-4.96%
Apples (1kg)
$3.81 A$5.40
$2.78 MX$51.9
37.05%
Banana (1kg)
$3.22 A$4.55
$1.37 MX$25.49
135.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 A$4.93
$2.55 MX$47.52
36.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.41 A$4.84
$2.12 MX$39.55
60.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.77 A$3.92
$1.94 MX$36.11
42.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 A$2.70
$1.89 MX$35.13
0.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.05 A$2.91
$1.15 MX$21.36
78.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 A$1.99
$1.18 MX$21.96
19.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$35.75 A$50.6
$4.30 MX$80.0
731.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.36 A$14.67
$9.95 MX$185
4.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.55 A$5.02
$1.58 MX$29.50
124.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 A$4.92
$2.67 MX$49.76
29.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.75 A$3.90
$0.55 MX$10.31
400.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.2 A$121
$26.62 MX$496
220.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.74 A$5.29
$4.97 MX$92.6
-24.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 A$2.01
$3.33 MX$62.1
-57.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.29 A$58.5
$5.36 MX$99.8
670.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 A$1.73
$1.44 MX$26.90
-15.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K A$43.5K
$20.7K MX$385.0K
48.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K A$37.7K
$23.5K MX$437.2K
13.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 A$293
$84.8 MX$1,580
144.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.83 A$35.17
$23.41 MX$436
6.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.6 A$90.1
$28.66 MX$534
121.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.79 A$63.4
$57.1 MX$1,063
-21.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.55 A$24.86
$28.91 MX$539
-39.29%
Cinema Ticket
$15.79 A$22.37
$5.14 MX$95.7
207.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,265 A$3,208
$207 MX$3,848
996.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.2K A$32.9K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
491.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.56 A$50.4
$43.35 MX$808
-17.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.3 A$78.3
$41.44 MX$772
33.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 A$177
$74.2 MX$1,382
67.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 A$226
$89.3 MX$1,663
79.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,378 A$1,952
$980 MX$18.2K
40.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,224 A$1,733
$381 MX$7,095
221.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,245 A$3,180
$1,708 MX$31.8K
31.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,219 A$1,727
$1,075 MX$20.0K
13.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,606 A$7,942
$3,943 MX$73.5K
42.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,480 A$7,763
$6,158 MX$114.7K
-11.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fremantle
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,936 A$5,576
$735 MX$13.7K
435.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
11.45
-47.95%

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

Last update for Fremantle: October 26, 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
Fremantle
$1.2K
Playa del Carmen
$381 68.9% $843
Groceries & Markets
Fremantle
$335
Playa del Carmen
$255 23.8% $80
Eating Out
Fremantle
$303
Playa del Carmen
$202 33.3% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fremantle
$295
Playa del Carmen
$137 53.7% $159
Clothing & Footwear
Fremantle
$169
Playa del Carmen
$112 33.8% $57
Getting Around
Fremantle
$107
Playa del Carmen
$50 52.9% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Fremantle
$76
Playa del Carmen
$67 11.9% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Fremantle versus $980 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.

Salaries in Fremantle are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Fremantle versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Fremantle
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
08:30 8:30 AM
19:30 7:30 PM
13 h behind Fremantle
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,616
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.634 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fremantle Playa del Carmen 17,420 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fremantle
  • 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
Fremantle vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fremantle or Playa del Carmen?
Fremantle costs about 108% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fremantle and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,764 per month in Fremantle and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Fremantle or Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,378 in Fremantle.
How do childcare costs compare in Fremantle and in Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $2,265 per month in Fremantle and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Fremantle or in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Fremantle, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Fremantle or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Fremantle at $2,509. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fremantle it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Fremantle or to Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fremantle makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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