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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in Perth versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in Perth versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,504 in Perth versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Perth is roughly 81% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Perth is 70% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.01

$11.67 MX$202

40.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$111

$41.88 MX$725

89.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 A$14.71

$10.40 MX$180

1.06%

Cappuccino

$3.65 A$5.11

$3.61 MX$62.6

1.11%

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

$2.59 A$3.62

$1.47 MX$25.44

76.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.77

$0.91 MX$15.79

117.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.08

$3.03 MX$52.5

161.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 A$8.87

$4.47 MX$77.4

41.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.05

$1.38 MX$23.82

5.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 A$3.27

$1.84 MX$31.91

27.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.82

$1.61 MX$27.80

24.84%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.27

$2.57 MX$44.49

74.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 A$11.64

$8.49 MX$147

-2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.71

$8.49 MX$147

-1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.87 A$19.41

$10.99 MX$190

26.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.79

$2.73 MX$47.23

25.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.22

$1.50 MX$25.90

100.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.11

$1.96 MX$33.91

49.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.55

$2.12 MX$36.68

120.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.86 MX$32.28

34.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 A$2.52

$2.17 MX$37.65

-17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 A$2.79

$1.07 MX$18.58

85.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 A$2.05

$1.05 MX$18.17

39.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.67 A$44.34

$4.19 MX$72.6

655.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 A$14.96

$10.28 MX$178

3.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 A$5.34

$1.67 MX$28.85

128.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 A$5.87

$2.49 MX$43.09

68.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.26

$0.54 MX$9.37

462.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 A$101

$26.27 MX$455

174.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 A$5.61

$3.10 MX$53.8

29.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 A$3.13

$2.46 MX$42.64

-9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.44 A$69.2

$3.24 MX$56.0

1425.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.63

$1.26 MX$21.82

-7.94%

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$30.2K MX$522.5K

-3.03%

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

$23.9K A$33.5K

$23.4K MX$406.1K

2.13%

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

$157 A$220

$84.0 MX$1,455

87.43%

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

$27.62 A$38.67

$22.21 MX$385

24.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 A$77.8

$29.65 MX$514

87.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 A$57.7

$52.6 MX$912

-21.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 A$22.20

$18.34 MX$318

-13.52%

Cinema Ticket

$16.40 A$22.96

$4.95 MX$85.7

231.31%

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

$1,792 A$2,509

$198 MX$3,436

803.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.7K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

124.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$98.4

$35.95 MX$623

95.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 A$67.6

$40.06 MX$694

20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$78.8 MX$1,365

28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$150

$86.5 MX$1,498

23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 A$2,104

$977 MX$16.9K

53.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 A$1,612

$471 MX$8,153

144.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,528

$1,595 MX$27.6K

57.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 A$2,546

$1,215 MX$21.0K

49.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 A$9,070

$4,032 MX$69.8K

60.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,911 A$6,875

$6,579 MX$113.9K

-25.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,214 A$5,900

$714 MX$12.4K

490.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

11.42

-43.78%

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

Last update for Perth: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,503 in Perth and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 490% 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: $79 in Perth vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $252 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Perth pays 490% 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: $1,503 in Perth versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 174% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,792 in Perth versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,281 in Perth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Perth. 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 Perth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Perth 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 81% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.