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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,235 in Pakenham versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,281 in Pakenham versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,327 in Pakenham versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Pakenham is roughly 74% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pakenham is 67% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 A$27.09

$11.94 MX$209

62.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 A$110

$42.75 MX$748

84.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 A$13.29

$10.59 MX$185

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$3.55 A$4.96

$3.62 MX$63.4

-1.93%

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

$2.55 A$3.57

$1.47 MX$25.69

73.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.35

$0.94 MX$16.51

154.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.45 A$10.43

$3.09 MX$54.1

141.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 A$9.92

$4.46 MX$78.0

58.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 A$1.48

$1.43 MX$24.94

-25.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.72

$1.88 MX$32.97

40.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.84

$1.63 MX$28.50

-19.02%

Eggs

$4.84 A$6.78

$2.64 MX$46.26

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 A$10.95

$8.21 MX$144

-4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 A$13.08

$8.29 MX$145

12.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 A$20.49

$11.10 MX$194

31.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.41

$2.65 MX$46.40

18.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.90

$1.50 MX$26.26

86.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.17

$1.99 MX$34.79

49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.45

$2.08 MX$36.33

52.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 A$3.76

$1.79 MX$31.29

50.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.12

$2.18 MX$38.09

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 A$3.13

$1.08 MX$18.84

106.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.87

$1.04 MX$18.15

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.39 A$29.94

$3.97 MX$69.5

438.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 A$20.18

$10.20 MX$179

41.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.57

$1.73 MX$30.22

171.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 A$6.72

$2.50 MX$43.71

92.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.74

$0.52 MX$9.07

413.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$90.8

$26.97 MX$472

140.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 A$5.07

$3.14 MX$55.0

15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$1.96

$2.40 MX$42.04

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.58 A$38.61

$3.09 MX$54.0

792.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.67

$1.27 MX$22.28

-6.30%

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-5.10%

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

$22.9K A$32.1K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-1.60%

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

$150 A$210

$82.0 MX$1,435

83.06%

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

$20.74 A$29.03

$22.45 MX$393

-7.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 A$70.9

$29.66 MX$519

70.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.28 A$67.6

$51.9 MX$908

-6.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.97 A$22.36

$18.67 MX$327

-14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 A$22.64

$4.97 MX$87.0

225.35%

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

$1,780 A$2,492

$198 MX$3,462

799.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K A$26.6K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

260.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$95.5

$36.34 MX$636

87.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 A$73.3

$40.05 MX$701

30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$150

$79.9 MX$1,398

34.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$147

$88.9 MX$1,555

18.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 A$1,749

$963 MX$16.9K

29.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 A$1,470

$465 MX$8,133

125.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 A$2,871

$1,596 MX$27.9K

28.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 A$2,326

$1,209 MX$21.2K

37.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,570 A$9,199

$3,942 MX$69.0K

66.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,456 A$6,238

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-30.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

11.42

-45.80%

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

Last update for Pakenham: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,249 in Pakenham and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Pakenham vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Pakenham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,353 in Pakenham and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,249 in Pakenham versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,780 in Pakenham 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 Pakenham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,235 in Pakenham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Pakenham. 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, Pakenham 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 74% less than in Pakenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.