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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,602 per month in Penrith vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,761 per month in Penrith vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,920 per month in Penrith vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Penrith costs about 101% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Penrith sits 89% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 A$27.57

$11.71 MX$198

69.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 A$130

$46.59 MX$788

101.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 A$14.75

$11.65 MX$197

-8.84%

Cappuccino

$2.14 A$2.97

$4.09 MX$69.2

-47.68%

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

$3.13 A$4.35

$1.37 MX$23.23

128.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 A$3.84

$0.83 MX$14.09

233.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.76 A$12.16

$3.35 MX$56.7

161.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 A$6.84

$6.91 MX$117

-28.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.24

$1.73 MX$29.20

-6.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 A$4.61

$2.26 MX$38.21

46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 A$3.76

$1.77 MX$29.91

53.11%

Eggs

$5.33 A$7.40

$2.73 MX$46.19

95.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 A$19.87

$9.18 MX$155

55.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 A$15.43

$8.92 MX$151

24.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.19 A$22.47

$12.60 MX$213

28.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 A$5.51

$3.02 MX$51.1

31.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.63

$1.57 MX$26.55

112.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 A$4.87

$2.13 MX$35.93

64.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 A$7.38

$2.26 MX$38.28

135.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.36

$2.00 MX$33.88

57.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.87

$2.06 MX$34.90

35.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 A$3.84

$1.18 MX$19.94

133.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.09

$1.20 MX$20.35

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.98 A$63.8

$4.63 MX$78.4

893.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 A$20.81

$10.69 MX$181

40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.70 A$6.52

$1.62 MX$27.38

190.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 A$7.72

$2.88 MX$48.70

93.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.75

$0.57 MX$9.69

373.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 A$104

$29.83 MX$504

151.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 A$5.85

$5.45 MX$92.1

-22.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 A$2.32

$3.70 MX$62.6

-54.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.44 A$60.3

$5.98 MX$101

626.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.73

$1.55 MX$26.26

-19.35%

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

$27.4K A$38.1K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

22.94%

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

$31.2K A$43.3K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

20.31%

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

$190 A$264

$89.1 MX$1,507

113.52%

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

$27.35 A$37.97

$25.04 MX$423

9.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$80.5

$31.50 MX$532

84.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 A$72.5

$67.8 MX$1,146

-23.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 A$26.73

$28.92 MX$489

-33.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.72 A$23.20

$5.05 MX$85.4

231.09%

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

$2,432 A$3,377

$225 MX$3,803

981.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K A$29.1K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

396.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$108

$47.44 MX$802

64.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 A$80.5

$44.98 MX$760

28.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 A$174

$82.0 MX$1,386

52.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$188

$92.1 MX$1,557

47.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 A$2,029

$1,069 MX$18.1K

36.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 A$1,867

$405 MX$6,852

231.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 A$3,582

$1,935 MX$32.7K

33.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,876 A$2,604

$1,301 MX$22.0K

44.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,012 A$9,735

$3,995 MX$67.5K

75.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,650 A$7,843

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-14.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

11.45

-48.03%

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

Last update for Penrith: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,461 in Penrith versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Penrith versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $418 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Penrith costs about 101% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,903 per month in Penrith and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 151% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,432 per month in Penrith and $225 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Penrith at $2,602. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Penrith it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,293 versus $2,602 in Penrith. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penrith makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.