Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,788 in Oamaru versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Oamaru versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Oamaru versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oamaru is roughly 39% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oamaru is 34% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 NZ$28.92

$11.94 MX$208

42.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.6 NZ$122

$42.75 MX$744

67.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.78 NZ$16.63

$10.59 MX$184

-7.65%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NZ$5.72

$3.62 MX$63.0

-7.18%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.85

$1.47 MX$25.54

53.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 NZ$3.33

$0.94 MX$16.41

108.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 NZ$12.50

$3.09 MX$53.8

137.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 NZ$12.25

$4.46 MX$77.6

61.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.11

$1.43 MX$24.80

27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 NZ$1.88

$1.88 MX$32.79

-41.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 NZ$2.12

$1.63 MX$28.34

-23.31%

Eggs

$3.91 NZ$6.64

$2.64 MX$45.99

48.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 NZ$14.49

$8.21 MX$143

3.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 NZ$15.78

$8.29 MX$144

11.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 NZ$21.57

$11.10 MX$193

14.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 NZ$4.13

$2.65 MX$46.14

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.11

$1.50 MX$26.11

22.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.05

$1.99 MX$34.59

49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.81 NZ$9.88

$2.08 MX$36.13

179.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NZ$2.62

$1.79 MX$31.11

-13.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.09

$2.18 MX$37.87

-43.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 NZ$3.11

$1.08 MX$18.73

69.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 NZ$2.50

$1.04 MX$18.04

41.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.66 NZ$40.22

$3.97 MX$69.1

495.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 NZ$10.11

$10.20 MX$178

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NZ$6.15

$1.73 MX$30.04

109.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 NZ$8.50

$2.50 MX$43.46

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 NZ$3.61

$0.52 MX$9.02

307.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 NZ$108

$26.97 MX$469

136.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NZ$4.53

$3.14 MX$54.7

-14.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$2.40 MX$41.80

-30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.66 NZ$50.4

$3.09 MX$53.7

859.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.81

$1.27 MX$22.16

29.92%

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

$27.3K NZ$46.5K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-11.49%

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

$19.5K NZ$33.1K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-16.38%

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

$116 NZ$197

$82.0 MX$1,427

41.07%

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

$18.29 NZ$31.09

$22.45 MX$391

-18.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.55 NZ$82.5

$29.66 MX$516

63.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.38 NZ$61.9

$51.9 MX$903

-29.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 NZ$20.47

$18.67 MX$325

-35.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.03 NZ$18.75

$4.97 MX$86.5

121.93%

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

$648 NZ$1,101

$198 MX$3,442

227.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,524 NZ$16.2K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

80.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 NZ$103

$36.34 MX$632

66.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.39 NZ$31.27

$40.05 MX$697

-54.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.67 NZ$81.0

$79.9 MX$1,390

-40.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.4 NZ$92.4

$88.9 MX$1,547

-38.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 NZ$1,678

$963 MX$16.8K

2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 NZ$1,312

$465 MX$8,086

66.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 NZ$2,658

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 NZ$2,445

$1,209 MX$21.0K

18.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,805 NZ$8,168

$3,942 MX$68.6K

21.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,965 NZ$5,040

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-54.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,079 NZ$3,535

$720 MX$12.5K

188.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-47.46%

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

Last update for Oamaru: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $987 in Oamaru and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oamaru pays 189% 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: $72.0 in Oamaru vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oamaru pays 189% 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: $987 in Oamaru versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Oamaru. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $72.0 in Oamaru. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,788 in Oamaru, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oamaru. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oamaru, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Oamaru 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 39% less than in Oamaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.