Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Alice Springs

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,798 in Alice Springs, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Alice Springs

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,798 in Alice Springs.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Alice Springs $1,798

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,720 in Alice Springs.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Alice Springs $2,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,641 in Alice Springs.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Alice Springs $3,641

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 33% less than in Alice Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Alice Springs is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$17.27 A$24.85

-37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$83.0 A$119

-46.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$10.70 A$15.40

9.91%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$4.28 A$6.16

-14.02%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.87 A$4.13

-53.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$2.82 A$4.06

-70.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$6.48 A$9.33

-52.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$9.54 A$13.72

-48.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.43 A$2.05

2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.10 A$3.03

5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.78 A$2.57

-16.85%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$5.10 A$7.33

-51.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$10.17 A$14.63

-26.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$8.29 A$11.94

-3.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$14.50 A$20.87

-13.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.84 A$5.53

-27.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$3.00 A$4.32

-52.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.63 A$3.78

-0.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$6.85 A$9.86

-68.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.49 A$3.58

-18.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.28 A$3.28

-12.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.43 A$3.50

-53.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$2.36 A$3.40

-49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$28.22 A$40.60

-84.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$13.77 A$19.82

-27.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$3.22 A$4.64

-52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$5.59 A$8.04

-52.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.79 A$4.02

-81.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$68.9 A$99.1

-60.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$4.84 A$6.97

1.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.55 A$2.24

121.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$27.74 A$39.92

-80.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.35 A$1.94

7.41%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$37.6K A$54.1K

-43.75%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$23.0K A$33.0K

0.23%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$213 A$306

-59.84%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$28.21 A$40.59

-16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$45.86 A$66.0

-38.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$56.9 A$81.9

9.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$17.95 A$25.83

59.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$13.94 A$20.06

-63.41%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$1,941 A$2,793

-89.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$20.6K A$29.6K

-80.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$73.1 A$105

-39.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$12.03 A$17.31

243.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$138 A$198

-47.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$120 A$173

-25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,405 A$2,022

-30.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$518 A$746

-28.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,267 A$1,823

32.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$765 A$1,101

43.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$4,502 A$6,478

-12.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$4,696 A$6,757

30.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$4,301 A$6,189

-82.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.9

94.07%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Alice Springs: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Alice Springs

$518 28.8% 39.1% $146

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Alice Springs

$365 20.3% 41.4% $107

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Alice Springs

$296 16.5% 47.8% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Alice Springs

$287 15.9% 109% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Alice Springs

$154 8.6% 38.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Alice Springs

$85 4.7% 17.1% $12

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Alice Springs

$93 5.2% 79.3% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $1,405 in Alice Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 483% 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: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $83.0 in Alice Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $365 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

11:57 11:57 AM

14 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

24,855

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Alice Springs 15,800 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Alice Springs

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Alice Springs. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 483% lower in Alice Springs. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,405 in Alice Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Alice Springs. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $83.0 in Alice Springs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,798 in Alice Springs, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Alice Springs. 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 $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Alice Springs 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 49% less than in Alice Springs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.