Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mildura and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,341 in Mildura, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mildura, Australia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mildura
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,341
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,341 per month in Mildura vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mildura $2,341
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,600 per month in Mildura vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mildura $3,600
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,860 per month in Mildura vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Mildura $4,860
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Mildura costs about 94% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mildura sits 72% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.51 A$22.14
$10.92 MX$205
42.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$106 A$152
$43.37 MX$813
144.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.41 A$16.29
$11.78 MX$221
-3.14%
Cappuccino
$3.61 A$5.16
$3.81 MX$71.4
-5.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 A$3.76
$1.28 MX$24.03
105.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 A$3.95
$0.78 MX$14.67
255.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.37 A$9.09
$3.17 MX$59.3
100.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.72 A$9.59
$4.93 MX$92.5
36.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 A$2.93
$1.41 MX$26.35
45.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 A$3.97
$2.22 MX$41.54
25.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.32 A$3.30
$1.42 MX$26.56
63.38%
Eggs
$7.88 A$11.25
$2.52 MX$47.27
212.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.30 A$13.27
$7.26 MX$136
28.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.26 A$13.22
$7.70 MX$144
20.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.52 A$20.72
$12.69 MX$238
14.42%
Apples (1kg)
$3.85 A$5.50
$2.78 MX$52.2
38.49%
Banana (1kg)
$3.10 A$4.43
$1.37 MX$25.64
126.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.18 A$4.54
$2.55 MX$47.80
24.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.56 A$6.51
$2.12 MX$39.78
115.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.47 A$3.52
$1.94 MX$36.32
27.32%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 A$3.56
$1.89 MX$35.34
31.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 A$3.44
$1.15 MX$21.49
109.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 A$2.21
$1.18 MX$22.09
31.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.81 A$61.1
$4.30 MX$80.5
895.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.07 A$20.08
$9.95 MX$186
41.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.81 A$6.86
$1.58 MX$29.67
204.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.32 A$7.60
$2.67 MX$50.1
99.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.71 A$3.86
$0.55 MX$10.37
392.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.6 A$121
$26.62 MX$499
217.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.39 A$4.83
$4.97 MX$93.1
-31.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 A$2.41
$3.33 MX$62.4
-49.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.97 A$58.5
$5.36 MX$100
664.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 A$1.88
$1.44 MX$27.06
-8.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K A$42.5K
$20.7K MX$387.3K
44.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K A$37.1K
$23.5K MX$439.7K
10.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 A$271
$84.8 MX$1,589
123.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.65 A$39.46
$23.41 MX$439
18.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.0 A$82.8
$28.66 MX$537
102.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.8 A$81.0
$57.1 MX$1,069
-0.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.50 A$24.98
$28.91 MX$542
-39.47%
Cinema Ticket
$13.84 A$19.76
$5.14 MX$96.3
169.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,114 A$3,018
$207 MX$3,871
923.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.8K A$29.7K
$3,927 MX$73.6K
428.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3 A$112
$43.35 MX$812
80.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.3 A$78.9
$41.44 MX$777
33.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 A$153
$74.2 MX$1,390
44.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 A$173
$89.3 MX$1,672
35.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,382 A$1,972
$980 MX$18.4K
41.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,059 A$1,511
$381 MX$7,136
178.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,307 A$3,293
$1,708 MX$32.0K
35.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,844 A$2,632
$1,075 MX$20.1K
71.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,067 A$8,660
$3,943 MX$73.9K
53.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,691 A$8,123
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-7.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mildura
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,458 A$4,936
$735 MX$13.8K
370.79%
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 Mildura: October 26, 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
Mildura
$1.1K
Playa del Carmen
$381 64% $678
Groceries & Markets
Mildura
$384
Playa del Carmen
$255 33.6% $129
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mildura
$275
Playa del Carmen
$137 50.3% $138
Eating Out
Mildura
$269
Playa del Carmen
$202 24.6% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Mildura
$163
Playa del Carmen
$112 31.4% $51
Getting Around
Mildura
$107
Playa del Carmen
$50 53% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Mildura
$84
Playa del Carmen
$67 20.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,382 in Mildura 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 Mildura are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Mildura versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Mildura
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
12:25 12:25 PM
20:25 8:25 PM
16 h behind Mildura
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
34,565
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mildura Playa del Carmen 14,980 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mildura
  • 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
Mildura vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Mildura?
Yes – Mildura is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,512 per month in Mildura and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,382 in Mildura.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 69% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,114 per month in Mildura and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mildura 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 Mildura at $2,341. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mildura it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mildura or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mildura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mildura vs other spots: cost of living compared

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