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: $2,193 in Mount Isa versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,287 in Mount Isa versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,382 in Mount Isa versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mount Isa is roughly 70% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mount Isa is 64% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.53 A$22.98

$11.94 MX$208

38.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 A$107

$42.75 MX$744

80.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.33

$10.59 MX$184

-9.44%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$4.90

$3.62 MX$63.0

-2.76%

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

$2.62 A$3.64

$1.47 MX$25.54

78.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.04

$0.94 MX$16.41

131.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 A$8.79

$3.09 MX$53.8

104.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 A$9.76

$4.46 MX$77.6

57.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.05

$1.43 MX$24.80

3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 A$3.35

$1.88 MX$32.79

28.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.74

$1.63 MX$28.34

20.86%

Eggs

$3.17 A$4.41

$2.64 MX$45.99

20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.04

$8.21 MX$143

5.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 A$11.74

$8.29 MX$144

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 A$18.97

$11.10 MX$193

22.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.42

$2.65 MX$46.14

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.82

$1.50 MX$26.11

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.01

$1.99 MX$34.59

44.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 A$5.82

$2.08 MX$36.13

100.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.44

$1.79 MX$31.11

37.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 A$2.91

$2.18 MX$37.87

-4.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 A$2.91

$1.08 MX$18.73

93.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.18

$1.04 MX$18.04

50.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.78 A$42.78

$3.97 MX$69.1

675.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 A$21.37

$10.20 MX$178

50.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.21

$1.73 MX$30.04

158.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 A$7.54

$2.50 MX$43.46

116.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 A$3.60

$0.52 MX$9.02

398.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 A$91.5

$26.97 MX$469

144.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.92

$3.14 MX$54.7

12.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.22

$2.40 MX$41.80

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.64 A$46.76

$3.09 MX$53.7

988.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.59

$1.27 MX$22.16

-9.45%

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

$28.4K A$39.5K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-7.88%

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

$22.1K A$30.7K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-5.35%

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

$186 A$258

$82.0 MX$1,427

126.75%

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

$27.58 A$38.33

$22.45 MX$391

22.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.89 A$59.6

$29.66 MX$516

44.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.99 A$68.1

$51.9 MX$903

-5.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.98 A$22.22

$18.67 MX$325

-14.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 A$18.26

$4.97 MX$86.5

164.39%

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

$1,634 A$2,271

$198 MX$3,442

726.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$16.7K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

128.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 A$94.2

$36.34 MX$632

86.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$70.8

$40.05 MX$697

27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 A$136

$79.9 MX$1,390

22.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$151

$88.9 MX$1,547

22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 A$1,787

$963 MX$16.8K

33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 A$1,463

$465 MX$8,086

126.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 A$2,789

$1,596 MX$27.8K

25.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 A$2,329

$1,209 MX$21.0K

38.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,673 A$7,886

$3,942 MX$68.6K

43.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,425 A$7,541

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-15.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,461 A$6,201

$720 MX$12.5K

519.30%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,286 in Mount Isa and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa pays 519% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $251 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 70% 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.

Mount Isa pays 519% more on average, 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: $1,286 in Mount Isa versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,634 in Mount Isa versus $198 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 34% higher in Mount Isa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,193 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 $1,287 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 70% less than in Mount Isa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.