Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kununurra and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,371 in Kununurra, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kununurra, Australia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Kununurra
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,371
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,371 in Kununurra versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kununurra $2,371
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,541 in Kununurra versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kununurra $3,541
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,711 in Kununurra versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kununurra $4,711
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Kununurra is roughly 97% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kununurra is 74% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.09 A$22.86
$10.92 MX$204
47.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.5 A$117
$43.37 MX$808
90.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.02 A$17.07
$11.78 MX$220
2.04%
Cappuccino
$4.18 A$5.94
$3.81 MX$71.0
9.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 A$4.02
$1.28 MX$23.90
121.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 A$2.79
$0.78 MX$14.59
151.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.61 A$9.40
$3.17 MX$59.0
108.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.67 A$10.90
$4.93 MX$92.0
55.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 A$2.16
$1.41 MX$26.22
7.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 A$3.86
$2.22 MX$41.33
22.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 A$3.25
$1.42 MX$26.42
61.27%
Eggs
$5.49 A$7.80
$2.52 MX$47.03
117.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.16 A$13.01
$7.26 MX$135
26.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.44 A$13.42
$7.70 MX$143
22.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.75 A$20.96
$12.69 MX$237
16.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.76 A$5.35
$2.78 MX$51.9
35.25%
Banana (1kg)
$3.12 A$4.44
$1.37 MX$25.50
127.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.28 A$4.65
$2.55 MX$47.55
28.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.56 A$6.48
$2.12 MX$39.58
115.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.65 A$3.77
$1.94 MX$36.13
36.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 A$3.39
$1.89 MX$35.16
25.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 A$3.42
$1.15 MX$21.37
109.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 A$2.17
$1.18 MX$21.98
29.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$26.81 A$38.09
$4.30 MX$80.1
523.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.89 A$19.74
$9.95 MX$185
39.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.86 A$6.91
$1.58 MX$29.52
207.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.16 A$7.33
$2.67 MX$49.79
93.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.45 A$3.48
$0.55 MX$10.31
345.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.3 A$120
$26.62 MX$496
216.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.80 A$5.40
$4.97 MX$92.6
-23.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 A$2.53
$3.33 MX$62.1
-46.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.87 A$51.0
$5.36 MX$99.8
569.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 A$1.94
$1.44 MX$26.92
-5.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K A$40.5K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
37.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K A$32.1K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
-3.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$209 A$297
$84.8 MX$1,581
146.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.61 A$39.23
$23.41 MX$436
17.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.8 A$82.1
$28.66 MX$534
101.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.8 A$80.7
$57.1 MX$1,063
-0.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.06 A$22.82
$28.91 MX$539
-44.45%
Cinema Ticket
$12.94 A$18.39
$5.14 MX$95.8
151.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,289 A$3,252
$207 MX$3,851
1008.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.0K A$32.7K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
485.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.8 A$108
$43.35 MX$808
74.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.66 A$67.7
$41.44 MX$772
15.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 A$152
$74.2 MX$1,383
44.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 A$168
$89.3 MX$1,664
32.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 A$1,999
$980 MX$18.3K
43.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,079 A$1,533
$381 MX$7,099
183.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,336 A$3,319
$1,708 MX$31.8K
36.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,827 A$2,596
$1,075 MX$20.0K
69.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,605 A$7,964
$3,943 MX$73.5K
42.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,305 A$7,537
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-13.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kununurra
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
11.45
-48.47%

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

Last update for Kununurra: October 27, 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
Kununurra
$1.1K
Playa del Carmen
$381 64.7% $698
Groceries & Markets
Kununurra
$369
Playa del Carmen
$255 30.9% $114
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kununurra
$295
Playa del Carmen
$137 53.6% $158
Eating Out
Kununurra
$283
Playa del Carmen
$202 28.4% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Kununurra
$157
Playa del Carmen
$112 28.7% $45
Getting Around
Kununurra
$107
Playa del Carmen
$50 52.7% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Kununurra
$83
Playa del Carmen
$67 18.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,407 in Kununurra and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82 in Kununurra vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Kununurra
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
03:03 3:03 AM
14:03 2:03 PM
13 h behind Kununurra
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,300
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kununurra Playa del Carmen 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kununurra
  • 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
Kununurra vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kununurra or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Kununurra. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kununurra and in Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $3,557 in Kununurra and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kununurra compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,407 in Kununurra versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Kununurra and in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $82 in Kununurra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Kununurra compared to Playa del Carmen?
All in, you’ll spend $2,371 per month in Kununurra versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Kununurra or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,371 in Kununurra, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kununurra. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kununurra or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Kununurra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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