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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,750 per month in Karratha vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,929 per month in Karratha vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,109 per month in Karratha vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Karratha costs about 111% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karratha sits 99% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 A$42.73

$11.96 MX$202

158.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.4 A$120

$47.38 MX$801

82.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 A$14.05

$11.75 MX$199

-13.62%

Cappuccino

$4.08 A$5.64

$4.12 MX$69.7

-0.97%

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

$3.40 A$4.70

$1.40 MX$23.66

142.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 A$3.57

$0.91 MX$15.43

183.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 A$11.19

$3.21 MX$54.2

151.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 A$10.21

$7.07 MX$120

4.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.35

$1.68 MX$28.35

1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$3.86

$2.15 MX$36.36

29.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.21

$1.77 MX$30.00

31.07%

Eggs

$5.17 A$7.16

$2.82 MX$47.60

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 A$12.99

$9.20 MX$156

1.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 A$13.41

$9.23 MX$156

4.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$20.57

$12.64 MX$214

17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 A$4.96

$2.95 MX$49.90

21.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.41

$1.58 MX$26.70

101.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.70

$2.22 MX$37.58

53.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.59

$2.36 MX$39.96

101.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.65

$1.99 MX$33.70

32.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.35

$1.98 MX$33.47

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.37

$1.24 MX$20.97

95.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 A$2.23

$1.21 MX$20.48

33.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.80 A$55.1

$4.60 MX$77.8

765.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.38 A$19.91

$10.52 MX$178

36.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.02 A$6.95

$1.69 MX$28.60

197.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 A$7.32

$2.77 MX$46.91

90.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 A$4.37

$0.60 MX$10.19

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 A$121

$29.70 MX$502

194.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.05

$5.24 MX$88.5

-30.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.24

$3.65 MX$61.7

-55.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.59 A$56.2

$5.78 MX$97.8

602.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.74

$1.54 MX$26.01

-18.18%

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

$28.5K A$39.5K

$22.8K MX$385.5K

25.04%

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

$31.4K A$43.4K

$25.8K MX$436.5K

21.46%

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

$210 A$291

$90.7 MX$1,533

131.95%

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

$28.18 A$39.01

$25.19 MX$426

11.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 A$80.6

$31.75 MX$537

83.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 A$80.9

$68.8 MX$1,163

-15.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 A$25.83

$29.37 MX$497

-36.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.66 A$21.69

$4.86 MX$82.2

222.22%

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

$2,193 A$3,037

$226 MX$3,816

871.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K A$29.4K

$4,194 MX$70.9K

406.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$110

$47.38 MX$801

67.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 A$76.4

$43.45 MX$735

27.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$156

$80.2 MX$1,356

40.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$174

$91.4 MX$1,545

37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 A$2,050

$1,086 MX$18.4K

36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 A$1,795

$409 MX$6,910

217.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 A$3,124

$1,972 MX$33.3K

14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 A$2,559

$1,281 MX$21.7K

44.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,761 A$9,361

$4,046 MX$68.4K

67.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,120 A$7,089

$6,704 MX$113.4K

-23.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

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 Karratha: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,481 in Karratha versus $1,086 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 $86.0 in Karratha versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $278 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,750 in Karratha, $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 111% apart. Karratha costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,124 per month in Karratha and $1,958 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,750 in Karratha and $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 195% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Karratha at $2,750. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karratha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,305 in Playa del Carmen to $2,750 in Karratha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karratha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.