Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Isa and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Isa and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,260 in Mount Isa versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,316 in Mount Isa versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,372 in Mount Isa versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mount Isa is roughly 79% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mount Isa is 70% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 A$22.90

$11.72 MX$203

37.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 A$110

$41.89 MX$726

84.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 A$13.76

$10.51 MX$182

-8.09%

Cappuccino

$3.49 A$4.97

$3.59 MX$62.1

-2.79%

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

$2.49 A$3.54

$1.51 MX$26.14

64.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.12

$0.92 MX$15.86

138.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 A$9.13

$2.96 MX$51.2

116.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 A$9.85

$4.41 MX$76.4

56.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.13

$1.40 MX$24.19

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 A$3.35

$1.88 MX$32.65

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.86

$1.56 MX$27.01

28.85%

Eggs

$3.16 A$4.50

$2.61 MX$45.21

21.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 A$12.23

$8.32 MX$144

3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 A$11.88

$8.35 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 A$19.12

$10.86 MX$188

23.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.51

$2.71 MX$47.00

16.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.00

$1.51 MX$26.08

86.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.21

$1.87 MX$32.46

58.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 A$5.93

$2.19 MX$37.95

90.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.86 MX$32.19

30.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.96

$2.23 MX$38.65

-6.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 A$3.09

$1.07 MX$18.51

102.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.09 MX$18.82

44.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.37 A$43.22

$4.19 MX$72.6

624.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.28 A$18.91

$10.43 MX$181

27.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.50 A$6.40

$1.66 MX$28.72

171.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.75

$2.61 MX$45.26

108.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.79

$0.54 MX$9.39

392.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$93.6

$26.16 MX$453

151.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.21

$3.08 MX$53.3

18.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.26

$2.40 MX$41.67

-33.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.83 A$48.16

$3.13 MX$54.2

980.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.61

$1.31 MX$22.72

-13.74%

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

$28.8K A$40.9K

$29.8K MX$516.5K

-3.51%

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

$22.6K A$32.1K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

-3.31%

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

$183 A$261

$81.3 MX$1,408

125.44%

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

$27.43 A$39.04

$22.56 MX$391

21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.21 A$60.1

$30.05 MX$521

40.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.08 A$69.9

$52.9 MX$917

-7.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 A$22.60

$18.39 MX$319

-13.65%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 A$18.70

$4.92 MX$85.3

167.07%

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

$1,627 A$2,316

$201 MX$3,480

710.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$17.2K

$5,175 MX$89.7K

133.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 A$95.5

$35.92 MX$622

86.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 A$72.0

$40.13 MX$695

26.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 A$141

$79.7 MX$1,381

24.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$155

$86.5 MX$1,498

25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 A$1,824

$978 MX$16.9K

31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 A$1,544

$470 MX$8,153

130.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 A$2,889

$1,651 MX$28.6K

22.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 A$2,388

$1,203 MX$20.9K

39.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 A$8,151

$3,953 MX$68.5K

44.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,573 A$6,509

$6,607 MX$114.5K

-30.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,381 A$6,235

$677 MX$11.7K

547.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Mount Isa: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,281 in Mount Isa and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa pays 547% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $77.0 in Mount Isa vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $252 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Mount Isa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 547% higher in Mount Isa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,281 in Mount Isa versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,627 in Mount Isa versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Mount Isa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,260 in Mount Isa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mount Isa. 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 $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mount Isa 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 79% less than in Mount Isa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.