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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,674 in Kununurra versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,788 in Kununurra versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,902 in Kununurra versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kununurra is roughly 105% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kununurra is 94% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.22 A$25.40

$11.96 MX$203

52.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 A$120

$47.38 MX$804

81.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 A$14.76

$11.75 MX$199

-9.87%

Cappuccino

$4.12 A$5.75

$4.12 MX$70.0

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

$2.92 A$4.07

$1.40 MX$23.74

108.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 A$3.12

$0.91 MX$15.48

146.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.03

$3.21 MX$54.4

146.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 A$10.28

$7.07 MX$120

4.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.33

$1.68 MX$28.44

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.74

$2.15 MX$36.48

24.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.16

$1.77 MX$30.10

28.25%

Eggs

$5.17 A$7.21

$2.82 MX$47.76

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.24

$9.20 MX$156

3.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 A$13.39

$9.23 MX$157

4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 A$20.94

$12.64 MX$214

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 A$4.97

$2.95 MX$50.1

20.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.36

$1.58 MX$26.79

98.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.66

$2.22 MX$37.70

50.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.80

$2.36 MX$40.09

106.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.71

$1.99 MX$33.81

33.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.48

$1.98 MX$33.58

25.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.38

$1.24 MX$21.04

95.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.37

$1.21 MX$20.55

40.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.45 A$39.67

$4.60 MX$78.1

518.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 A$20.22

$10.52 MX$178

37.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.21

$1.69 MX$28.70

205.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.60

$2.77 MX$47.06

96.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 A$4.45

$0.60 MX$10.22

431.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 A$121

$29.70 MX$504

192.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 A$4.95

$5.24 MX$88.8

-32.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.23

$3.65 MX$61.9

-56.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.74 A$56.8

$5.78 MX$98.1

604.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.75

$1.54 MX$26.09

-18.83%

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

$28.3K A$39.5K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

24.30%

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

$30.9K A$43.1K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

19.86%

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

$214 A$299

$90.7 MX$1,538

136.45%

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

$27.53 A$38.39

$25.19 MX$427

9.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 A$82.4

$31.75 MX$539

86.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 A$78.8

$68.8 MX$1,167

-17.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 A$25.51

$29.37 MX$498

-37.69%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 A$22.37

$4.86 MX$82.5

230.04%

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

$2,244 A$3,128

$226 MX$3,828

894.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K A$29.0K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

396.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$109

$47.38 MX$804

64.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 A$78.0

$43.45 MX$737

28.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$159

$80.2 MX$1,361

42.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$177

$91.4 MX$1,550

38.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 A$2,043

$1,086 MX$18.4K

34.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 A$1,790

$409 MX$6,933

214.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 A$3,213

$1,972 MX$33.5K

16.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 A$2,667

$1,281 MX$21.7K

49.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,528 A$9,102

$4,046 MX$68.6K

61.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,135 A$7,159

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-23.41%

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 Kununurra: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,465 in Kununurra and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Kununurra vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $278 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 105% 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.

You'd need roughly $4,011 in Kununurra and $1,958 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,465 in Kununurra versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $86.0 in Kununurra. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,674 per month in Kununurra versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,674 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,305 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kununurra 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 105% less than in Kununurra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.