Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penshurst, NSW and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,478 in Penshurst, NSW, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Penshurst, NSW
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Penshurst, NSW Living Index
59

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

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Penshurst, NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,478

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penshurst, NSW 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 Penshurst, NSW and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,478 in Penshurst, NSW versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Penshurst, NSW $2,478
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,587 in Penshurst, NSW versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Penshurst, NSW $3,587
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,696 in Penshurst, NSW versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Penshurst, NSW $4,696
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Penshurst, NSW is roughly 106% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Penshurst, NSW is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 A$25.50

$10.86 MX$201

63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 A$121

$44.21 MX$817

90.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 A$14.84

$11.76 MX$217

-12.33%

Cappuccino

$4.08 A$5.87

$3.68 MX$68.0

10.87%

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

$2.89 A$4.16

$1.34 MX$24.79

115.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 A$3.22

$0.82 MX$15.24

173.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 A$11.23

$3.06 MX$56.6

154.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.70

$4.94 MX$91.2

50.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.47 MX$27.17

6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 A$3.79

$2.22 MX$40.95

18.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.19

$1.48 MX$27.32

50.00%

Eggs

$4.96 A$7.14

$2.49 MX$45.99

99.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 A$12.99

$7.52 MX$139

19.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 A$13.20

$7.96 MX$147

15.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 A$21.37

$12.57 MX$232

18.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 A$5.53

$2.78 MX$51.3

38.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.29

$1.43 MX$26.37

108.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.71

$2.62 MX$48.37

24.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 A$6.52

$2.14 MX$39.49

111.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.93

$2.02 MX$37.38

35.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$1.99 MX$36.74

20.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.39

$1.14 MX$21.01

107.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.20 MX$22.18

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.48 A$59.7

$4.26 MX$78.7

873.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.28

$10.02 MX$185

40.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.78 A$6.87

$1.54 MX$28.41

210.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$2.66 MX$49.17

92.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 A$4.06

$0.53 MX$9.73

432.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.9 A$118

$27.51 MX$508

197.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 A$4.92

$4.90 MX$90.6

-30.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$3.43 MX$63.5

-53.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 A$57.0

$5.38 MX$99.4

636.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.95

$1.45 MX$26.76

-6.90%

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

$27.1K A$39.0K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

27.93%

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

$29.2K A$42.1K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

26.98%

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

$204 A$293

$85.4 MX$1,577

138.53%

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

$27.94 A$40.20

$23.46 MX$434

19.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 A$81.2

$28.43 MX$525

98.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$79.6

$62.2 MX$1,149

-11.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.31 A$24.91

$28.68 MX$530

-39.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 A$21.39

$5.10 MX$94.3

191.37%

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

$2,170 A$3,123

$201 MX$3,715

979.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K A$28.8K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

406.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$112

$44.39 MX$820

74.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 A$76.4

$41.35 MX$764

28.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$153

$72.7 MX$1,344

45.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$89.6 MX$1,656

34.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 A$1,964

$979 MX$18.1K

39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 A$1,697

$373 MX$6,887

216.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 A$3,047

$1,681 MX$31.1K

25.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 A$2,565

$1,095 MX$20.2K

62.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,918 A$8,517

$3,949 MX$73.0K

49.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,848 A$6,977

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-20.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

11.45

-49.00%

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

Last update for Penshurst, NSW: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penshurst, NSW

$1.2K 47.6%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 68.4% $807

Groceries & Markets

Penshurst, NSW

$364 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 29.1% $106

Eating Out

Penshurst, NSW

$296 12%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 32.4% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penshurst, NSW

$288 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 52.3% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Penshurst, NSW

$161 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 30.5% $49

Getting Around

Penshurst, NSW

$105 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 50.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Penshurst, NSW

$85 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 14.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,365 in Penshurst, NSW and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84.0 in Penshurst, NSW vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Penshurst, NSW

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

05:52 5:52 AM

16 h behind Penshurst, NSW

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,673

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Penshurst, NSW
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

Penshurst, NSW vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,717 in Penshurst, NSW and $1,806 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: $1,365 in Penshurst, NSW versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,478 per month in Penshurst, NSW versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 198% less than in Penshurst, NSW. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,478 in Penshurst, NSW, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Penshurst, NSW. 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 Penshurst, NSW, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Penshurst, NSW 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 106% less than in Penshurst, NSW. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.