Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Parramatta and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,303 in Parramatta, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Parramatta
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Parramatta Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Parramatta

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,303

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Parramatta and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Parramatta and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,303 in Parramatta versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Parramatta $3,303
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,603 in Parramatta versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Parramatta $4,603
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,903 in Parramatta versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Parramatta $5,903
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Parramatta is roughly 174% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Parramatta is 143% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 A$24.58

$10.92 MX$204

58.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 A$129

$43.37 MX$808

109.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 A$16.98

$11.78 MX$220

1.44%

Cappuccino

$3.95 A$5.61

$3.81 MX$71.0

3.67%

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

$3.17 A$4.50

$1.28 MX$23.90

147.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 A$3.63

$0.78 MX$14.59

228.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.14

$3.17 MX$59.0

169.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.56

$4.93 MX$92.0

50.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.34

$1.41 MX$26.22

17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 A$3.97

$2.22 MX$41.33

26.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$1.42 MX$26.42

67.61%

Eggs

$5.38 A$7.64

$2.52 MX$47.03

113.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 A$17.11

$7.26 MX$135

65.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 A$13.58

$7.70 MX$143

24.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 A$21.91

$12.69 MX$237

21.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 A$5.70

$2.78 MX$51.9

44.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.57

$1.37 MX$25.50

134.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$4.94

$2.55 MX$47.55

36.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 A$7.01

$2.12 MX$39.58

132.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.38

$1.94 MX$36.13

58.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.47

$1.89 MX$35.16

29.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.63

$1.15 MX$21.37

122.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.97

$1.18 MX$21.98

16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.83 A$63.7

$4.30 MX$80.1

942.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 A$19.96

$9.95 MX$185

41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.79

$1.58 MX$29.52

157.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 A$5.74

$2.67 MX$49.79

51.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 A$3.19

$0.55 MX$10.31

307.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$26.62 MX$496

422.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$4.97 MX$92.6

-30.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.26

$3.33 MX$62.1

-52.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.91 A$58.1

$5.36 MX$99.8

663.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.44 MX$26.92

-6.94%

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

$29.5K A$41.9K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

42.71%

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

$26.6K A$37.8K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

13.48%

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

$254 A$361

$84.8 MX$1,581

199.82%

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

$27.25 A$38.72

$23.41 MX$436

16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 A$78.0

$28.66 MX$534

91.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 A$76.6

$57.1 MX$1,063

-5.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 A$28.44

$28.91 MX$539

-30.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 A$22.60

$5.14 MX$95.8

209.53%

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

$2,337 A$3,321

$207 MX$3,851

1031.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.0K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

420.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$43.35 MX$808

84.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 A$79.3

$41.44 MX$772

34.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$152

$74.2 MX$1,383

44.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$180

$89.3 MX$1,664

42.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,541 A$3,610

$980 MX$18.3K

159.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 A$2,660

$381 MX$7,099

391.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 A$5,310

$1,708 MX$31.8K

118.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 A$3,876

$1,075 MX$20.0K

153.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,197 A$5,963

$3,943 MX$73.5K

6.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 A$4,771

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-45.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,034 A$5,732

$735 MX$13.7K

449.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

11.45

-48.30%

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

Last update for Parramatta: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Parramatta

$1.9K 56.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 79.7% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Parramatta

$381 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 33.1% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Parramatta

$336 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.3% $199

Eating Out

Parramatta

$302 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 33% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Parramatta

$166 5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 32.9% $55

Getting Around

Parramatta

$160 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 68.4% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Parramatta

$86 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 21.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,541 in Parramatta and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays about 5.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Parramatta vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Parramatta

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

18:48 6:48 PM

16 h behind Parramatta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,745

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Parramatta Playa del Carmen 14,160 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Parramatta
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Parramatta is about 5.5 times higher, 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: $2,541 in Parramatta versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,303 per month in Parramatta versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 81% less than in Parramatta. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,303 in Parramatta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Parramatta. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Parramatta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.