Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in New Plymouth versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,770 in New Plymouth versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in New Plymouth versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in New Plymouth is roughly 46% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Plymouth is 37% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 NZ$25.96

$11.61 MX$201

31.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 NZ$132

$42.75 MX$742

81.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 NZ$18.23

$10.60 MX$184

1.13%

Cappuccino

$3.76 NZ$6.39

$3.59 MX$62.3

4.74%

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

$2.37 NZ$4.02

$1.45 MX$25.21

63.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NZ$3.50

$0.90 MX$15.58

128.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 NZ$8.94

$3.03 MX$52.6

73.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 NZ$12.53

$4.56 MX$79.2

61.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 NZ$3.45

$1.45 MX$25.20

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 NZ$2.50

$1.83 MX$31.72

-19.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.10

$1.61 MX$27.92

13.04%

Eggs

$6.10 NZ$10.37

$2.54 MX$44.05

140.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 NZ$12.79

$8.54 MX$148

-11.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 NZ$22.14

$8.47 MX$147

53.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 NZ$21.59

$10.86 MX$189

16.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.67

$2.73 MX$47.37

-20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.35

$1.49 MX$25.91

32.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 NZ$5.54

$1.94 MX$33.73

68.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 NZ$11.34

$2.16 MX$37.57

208.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.31

$1.85 MX$32.05

37.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.84

$2.19 MX$38.00

-23.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NZ$3.40

$1.07 MX$18.62

86.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NZ$2.43

$1.08 MX$18.81

32.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.83 NZ$35.42

$4.06 MX$70.5

413.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 NZ$14.78

$10.46 MX$182

-16.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 NZ$6.44

$1.65 MX$28.71

129.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 NZ$7.58

$2.55 MX$44.23

74.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 NZ$3.03

$0.56 MX$9.65

217.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 NZ$111

$26.20 MX$455

148.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 NZ$3.14

$3.14 MX$54.5

-41.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 NZ$5.68

$2.37 MX$41.17

40.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.05 NZ$61.3

$3.24 MX$56.2

1012.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.31 MX$22.81

25.95%

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

$48.5K NZ$82.4K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

58.72%

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

$24.5K NZ$41.6K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

2.79%

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

$208 NZ$354

$83.1 MX$1,443

150.13%

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

$30.73 NZ$52.2

$22.15 MX$385

38.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 NZ$51.2

$29.37 MX$510

2.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 NZ$60.9

$51.2 MX$889

-30.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 NZ$20.84

$18.69 MX$324

-34.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 NZ$18.48

$4.89 MX$84.9

122.29%

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

$753 NZ$1,281

$199 MX$3,449

279.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.2K

$5,207 MX$90.4K

128.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NZ$153

$35.93 MX$624

149.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.03 NZ$61.3

$39.39 MX$684

-8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 NZ$125

$80.3 MX$1,394

-8.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 NZ$114

$87.6 MX$1,520

-23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 NZ$1,252

$963 MX$16.7K

-23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 NZ$1,141

$482 MX$8,370

39.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 NZ$2,338

$1,645 MX$28.6K

-16.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 NZ$1,998

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-1.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,328 NZ$5,658

$3,957 MX$68.7K

-15.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,725 NZ$4,633

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-58.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,702 NZ$4,593

$726 MX$12.6K

272.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

11.42

-48.07%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: April 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $736 in New Plymouth and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 272% 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: $78 in New Plymouth vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $253 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

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

New Plymouth and Playa del Carmen differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,843 vs $1,262 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

New Plymouth pays 272% 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: $736 in New Plymouth versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 149% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $753 in New Plymouth versus $199 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,843 in New Plymouth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in New Plymouth. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, New Plymouth 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 46% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.