Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $841 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$841

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $841 in Masterton versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Masterton $841
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,446 in Masterton versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Masterton $1,446
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,051 in Masterton versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Masterton $2,051
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Masterton costs roughly 30% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Masterton 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.26 NZ$16.44

$10.92 MX$205

-15.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 NZ$115

$43.37 MX$814

49.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 NZ$15.58

$11.78 MX$221

-25.55%

Cappuccino

$3.35 NZ$5.95

$3.81 MX$71.5

-12.07%

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

$1.95 NZ$3.46

$1.28 MX$24.07

52.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.97

$0.78 MX$14.70

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 NZ$7.04

$3.17 MX$59.5

24.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NZ$6.04

$4.93 MX$92.7

-31.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$1.41 MX$26.40

3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$2.22 MX$41.62

-4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 NZ$1.95

$1.42 MX$26.61

-22.54%

Eggs

$6.49 NZ$11.51

$2.52 MX$47.36

157.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 NZ$15.25

$7.26 MX$136

18.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 NZ$17.65

$7.70 MX$144

29.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.03 NZ$26.69

$12.69 MX$238

18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$2.78 MX$52.3

-20.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$1.37 MX$25.68

32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.40

$2.55 MX$47.89

19.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NZ$7.95

$2.12 MX$39.86

111.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 NZ$2.69

$1.94 MX$36.39

-22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 NZ$1.94

$1.89 MX$35.41

-42.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NZ$3.04

$1.15 MX$21.53

48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.93

$1.18 MX$22.13

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.90 NZ$35.33

$4.30 MX$80.6

362.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.39

$9.95 MX$187

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 NZ$1.56

$1.58 MX$29.73

-44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.17

$2.67 MX$50.1

-54.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 NZ$3.97

$0.55 MX$10.39

305.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 NZ$3.36

$4.97 MX$93.3

-61.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NZ$3.20

$3.33 MX$62.5

-45.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.98 NZ$60.3

$5.36 MX$101

533.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$3.08

$1.44 MX$27.11

20.14%

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

$22.9K NZ$40.6K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

10.65%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.4K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

1.74%

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

$56.0 NZ$99.5

$84.8 MX$1,592

-33.92%

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

$29.91 NZ$53.1

$23.41 MX$439

27.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 NZ$94.8

$28.66 MX$538

86.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 NZ$75.2

$57.1 MX$1,071

-25.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.22 NZ$14.59

$28.91 MX$543

-71.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 NZ$16.81

$5.14 MX$96.5

84.24%

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

$1,038 NZ$1,844

$207 MX$3,878

402.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

238.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 NZ$101

$43.35 MX$814

30.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.47 NZ$50.6

$41.44 MX$778

-31.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NZ$186

$74.2 MX$1,393

40.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 NZ$250

$89.3 MX$1,676

57.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 NZ$1,809

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-40.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,339 NZ$4,152

$735 MX$13.8K

218.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.45

-52.93%

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

Last update for Masterton: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Masterton

$293 34.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 13% $38

Eating Out

Masterton

$179 21.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 12.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Masterton

$149 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 24.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masterton

$139 16.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 1.8% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Masterton

$61 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 9.8% $6

Getting Around

Masterton

$20 * 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 154% $31

Accommodation & Living

Masterton

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays about 3.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65 in Masterton vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Masterton

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

18 h behind Masterton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,800

149,923

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Masterton Playa del Carmen 12,080 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Masterton
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

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

Masterton is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Masterton is about 3.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $841 per month in Masterton versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Masterton is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $841 in Masterton versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.