Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandurah and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,382 in Mandurah, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mandurah, Australia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mandurah
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,382
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,382 per month in Mandurah vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mandurah $2,382
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,505 per month in Mandurah vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mandurah $3,505
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,629 per month in Mandurah vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mandurah $4,629
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Mandurah costs about 98% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mandurah sits 75% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.00 A$29.84
$10.92 MX$205
92.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.4 A$119
$43.37 MX$814
92.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.28 A$16.03
$11.78 MX$221
-4.24%
Cappuccino
$4.62 A$6.57
$3.81 MX$71.5
21.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 A$3.95
$1.28 MX$24.07
117.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 A$3.21
$0.78 MX$14.70
189.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.16 A$8.75
$3.17 MX$59.5
94.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.23 A$11.70
$4.93 MX$92.7
66.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 A$2.40
$1.41 MX$26.40
19.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.51 A$3.57
$2.22 MX$41.62
13.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 A$2.78
$1.42 MX$26.61
38.03%
Eggs
$4.96 A$7.05
$2.52 MX$47.36
96.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.48 A$13.47
$7.26 MX$136
30.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.51 A$13.51
$7.70 MX$144
23.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.80 A$19.61
$12.69 MX$238
8.75%
Apples (1kg)
$3.41 A$4.85
$2.78 MX$52.3
22.66%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 A$4.38
$1.37 MX$25.68
124.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.55 A$5.05
$2.55 MX$47.89
39.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 A$6.87
$2.12 MX$39.86
127.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 A$2.29
$1.94 MX$36.39
-17.01%
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 A$1.15
$1.89 MX$35.41
-57.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 A$2.85
$1.15 MX$21.53
74.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 A$1.93
$1.18 MX$22.13
14.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.37 A$60.2
$4.30 MX$80.6
885.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.83 A$18.24
$9.95 MX$187
28.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.42 A$6.28
$1.58 MX$29.73
179.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 A$4.81
$2.67 MX$50.1
26.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.63 A$5.16
$0.55 MX$10.39
560.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$92.5 A$131
$26.62 MX$500
247.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.58 A$5.09
$4.97 MX$93.3
-27.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 A$2.02
$3.33 MX$62.5
-57.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.90 A$58.1
$5.36 MX$101
663.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 A$1.85
$1.44 MX$27.11
-9.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K A$42.4K
$20.7K MX$388.0K
44.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K A$39.1K
$23.5K MX$440.5K
17.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 A$294
$84.8 MX$1,592
144.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.96 A$29.79
$23.41 MX$439
-10.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.6 A$90.4
$28.66 MX$538
121.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.65 A$49.25
$57.1 MX$1,071
-39.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.46 A$14.87
$28.91 MX$543
-63.82%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 A$12.64
$5.14 MX$96.5
72.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$397 A$564
$207 MX$3,878
92.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.9K A$32.6K
$3,927 MX$73.7K
483.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.3 A$110
$43.35 MX$814
78.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.64 A$63.5
$41.44 MX$778
7.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 A$170
$74.2 MX$1,393
61.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.4 A$110
$89.3 MX$1,676
-13.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,386 A$1,970
$980 MX$18.4K
41.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 A$1,571
$381 MX$7,150
190.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,485 A$3,532
$1,708 MX$32.1K
45.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,776 A$2,525
$1,075 MX$20.2K
65.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mandurah
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,262 A$6,058
$735 MX$13.8K
480.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.7
11.45
-50.22%

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

Last update for Mandurah: October 25, 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
Mandurah
$1.1K
Playa del Carmen
$381 65.6% $725
Groceries & Markets
Mandurah
$346
Playa del Carmen
$255 26.4% $91
Eating Out
Mandurah
$325
Playa del Carmen
$202 37.7% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mandurah
$292
Playa del Carmen
$137 53.1% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Mandurah
$144
Playa del Carmen
$112 22.2% $32
Getting Around
Mandurah
$118
Playa del Carmen
$50 57.1% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Mandurah
$52
Playa del Carmen
$67 28.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,386 in Mandurah versus $980 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.

Salaries in Mandurah are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in Mandurah versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Mandurah
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
11:05 11:05 AM
22:05 10:05 PM
13 h behind Mandurah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
107,643
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mandurah Playa del Carmen 17,400 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mandurah
  • 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
Mandurah vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mandurah or Playa del Carmen?
Mandurah costs about 98% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mandurah and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,573 per month in Mandurah and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mandurah or Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,386 in Mandurah.
How do childcare costs compare in Mandurah and in Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $397 per month in Mandurah and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Mandurah or in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 36% more in Mandurah, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Mandurah or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Mandurah at $2,382. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mandurah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Mandurah or to Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mandurah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mandurah vs other spots: cost of living compared

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