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 $2,346 per month in Karratha vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,405 per month in Karratha vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,464 per month in Karratha vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Karratha costs about 86% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karratha sits 75% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.30 A$38.22

$11.67 MX$202

133.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$111

$41.88 MX$726

89.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 A$12.68

$10.40 MX$180

-12.88%

Cappuccino

$3.65 A$5.12

$3.61 MX$62.6

1.11%

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

$3.13 A$4.39

$1.47 MX$25.45

112.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.10

$0.91 MX$15.80

142.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 A$8.98

$3.03 MX$52.6

111.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 A$10.00

$4.47 MX$77.4

59.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.08

$1.38 MX$23.83

7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 A$3.36

$1.84 MX$31.93

30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.81

$1.61 MX$27.82

24.84%

Eggs

$4.27 A$5.98

$2.57 MX$44.52

66.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 A$11.88

$8.49 MX$147

-0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.61

$8.49 MX$147

-2.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 A$18.81

$10.99 MX$190

22.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.59

$2.73 MX$47.25

20.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$3.99

$1.50 MX$25.92

90.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.22

$1.96 MX$33.93

54.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 A$5.74

$2.12 MX$36.70

93.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.42

$1.86 MX$32.30

31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.96

$2.17 MX$37.67

-2.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.94

$1.07 MX$18.59

96.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 A$2.16

$1.05 MX$18.18

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.97 A$43.36

$4.19 MX$72.6

639.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 A$20.26

$10.28 MX$178

40.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.26

$1.67 MX$28.87

167.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.43

$2.49 MX$43.12

113.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.72

$0.54 MX$9.37

392.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 A$91.3

$26.27 MX$455

148.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.88

$3.10 MX$53.8

12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.15

$2.46 MX$42.66

-37.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.11 A$46.35

$3.24 MX$56.1

921.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.58

$1.26 MX$21.83

-10.32%

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

$28.6K A$40.1K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-5.10%

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

$22.8K A$32.0K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

-2.55%

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

$186 A$260

$84.0 MX$1,456

121.47%

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

$27.63 A$38.68

$22.21 MX$385

24.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 A$72.6

$29.65 MX$514

74.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.66 A$69.5

$52.6 MX$912

-5.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 A$22.09

$18.34 MX$318

-13.96%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 A$17.92

$4.95 MX$85.7

158.59%

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

$1,632 A$2,285

$198 MX$3,438

722.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

123.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$93.9

$35.95 MX$623

86.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 A$70.4

$40.06 MX$694

25.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 A$138

$78.8 MX$1,365

25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$147

$86.5 MX$1,499

21.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 A$1,782

$977 MX$16.9K

30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 A$1,491

$471 MX$8,158

126.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 A$2,852

$1,595 MX$27.6K

27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 A$2,324

$1,215 MX$21.1K

36.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,335 A$7,468

$4,032 MX$69.9K

32.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,722 A$6,611

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-28.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Karratha: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,273 in Karratha versus $977 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 $79 in Karratha versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $252 – 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: $2,346 in Karratha, $1,261 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 86% apart. Karratha costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,519 per month in Karratha and $1,891 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 $2,346 in Karratha and $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 148% 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 $1,261, than in Karratha at $2,346. 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 $1,261 in Playa del Carmen to $2,346 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.