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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,674 in Geelong versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,624 in Geelong versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,573 in Geelong versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Geelong is roughly 107% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Geelong is 95% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 A$24.86

$11.71 MX$198

52.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 A$121

$46.59 MX$788

87.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 A$15.01

$11.65 MX$197

-7.12%

Cappuccino

$3.78 A$5.24

$4.09 MX$69.2

-7.58%

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

$2.67 A$3.71

$1.37 MX$23.23

94.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.15

$0.83 MX$14.09

173.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.55 A$9.10

$3.35 MX$56.7

95.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 A$8.09

$6.91 MX$117

-15.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.36

$1.73 MX$29.20

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 A$3.16

$2.26 MX$38.21

0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 A$2.06

$1.77 MX$29.91

-16.38%

Eggs

$3.94 A$5.47

$2.73 MX$46.19

44.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.00

$9.18 MX$155

-5.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.18

$8.92 MX$151

6.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 A$22.08

$12.60 MX$213

26.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 A$4.89

$3.02 MX$51.1

16.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.22

$1.57 MX$26.55

93.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.11

$2.13 MX$35.93

38.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.64

$2.26 MX$38.28

47.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.30

$2.00 MX$33.88

55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.09

$2.06 MX$34.90

8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.04

$1.18 MX$19.94

85.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.36

$1.20 MX$20.35

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.43 A$47.80

$4.63 MX$78.4

643.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.30 A$17.07

$10.69 MX$181

15.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.73 A$5.17

$1.62 MX$27.38

130.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 A$4.21

$2.88 MX$48.70

5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.73 A$10.73

$0.57 MX$9.69

1256.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 A$180

$29.83 MX$504

334.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 A$5.88

$5.45 MX$92.1

-22.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$1.95

$3.70 MX$62.6

-61.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.07 A$43.14

$5.98 MX$101

419.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.84

$1.55 MX$26.26

-14.19%

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

$29.1K A$40.4K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

30.21%

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

$27.7K A$38.5K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

6.74%

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

$158 A$219

$89.1 MX$1,507

76.81%

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

$26.36 A$36.59

$25.04 MX$423

5.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$81.7

$31.50 MX$532

86.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 A$81.4

$67.8 MX$1,146

-13.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.13 A$22.39

$28.92 MX$489

-44.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 A$18.21

$5.05 MX$85.4

159.60%

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

$2,220 A$3,082

$225 MX$3,803

886.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K A$45.8K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

681.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$113

$47.44 MX$802

71.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 A$71.8

$44.98 MX$760

15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 A$132

$82.0 MX$1,386

15.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$92.1 MX$1,557

14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 A$1,860

$1,069 MX$18.1K

25.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 A$1,979

$405 MX$6,852

251.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 A$2,522

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-6.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 A$2,149

$1,301 MX$22.0K

18.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,704 A$9,306

$3,995 MX$67.5K

67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,446 A$7,561

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-17.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,126 A$4,339

$749 MX$12.7K

317.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

11.45

-48.91%

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

Last update for Geelong: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,340 in Geelong and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Geelong pays 317% 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: $87.0 in Geelong vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $277 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

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

Geelong and Playa del Carmen differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,674 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 317% higher in Geelong, 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: $1,340 in Geelong versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,674 per month in Geelong versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 334% less than in Geelong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,674 in Geelong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Geelong. 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, Geelong 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 107% less than in Geelong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.