Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Canberra

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,886 in Canberra, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
Learn more

Canberra Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Canberra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,886 in Canberra, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Canberra $2,886

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,020 in Canberra, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Canberra $4,020

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,153 in Canberra, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Canberra $5,153

Playa del Carmen is about 58% cheaper than Canberra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Canberra is 112% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$20.77 A$29.53

-47.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$807

$89.8 A$128

-51.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$10.43 A$14.83

12.94%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.9

$3.99 A$5.67

-4.51%

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

$1.28 MX$23.87

$3.12 A$4.44

-58.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.57

$2.64 A$3.75

-70.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$8.32 A$11.83

-61.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$10.11 A$14.37

-51.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.18

$1.49 A$2.12

-5.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.27

$3.14 A$4.47

-29.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.38

$2.53 A$3.59

-43.87%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.96

$5.32 A$7.57

-52.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$13.15 A$18.69

-44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$9.98 A$14.19

-22.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$15.08 A$21.44

-15.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.8

$4.03 A$5.72

-31.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.47

$3.17 A$4.50

-56.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.49

$3.54 A$5.04

-27.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.52

$5.13 A$7.29

-58.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.08

$3.22 A$4.58

-39.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.11

$2.83 A$4.03

-33.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.34

$2.48 A$3.53

-53.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.95

$1.40 A$2.00

-15.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$44.06 A$62.7

-90.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$14.26 A$20.28

-30.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.48

$4.81 A$6.85

-67.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.72

$5.68 A$8.08

-52.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.30

$2.53 A$3.60

-78.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$495

$94.8 A$135

-71.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.5

$3.99 A$5.68

24.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.0

$1.65 A$2.35

101.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.7

$42.56 A$60.5

-87.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.88

$1.33 A$1.89

8.27%

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

$20.7K MX$384.7K

$28.0K A$39.8K

-26.15%

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

$23.5K MX$436.8K

$26.3K A$37.4K

-10.75%

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

$84.8 MX$1,578

$184 A$262

-53.98%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$26.57 A$37.78

-11.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$533

$55.9 A$79.5

-48.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,062

$79.4 A$113

-28.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$538

$27.81 A$39.55

3.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$16.02 A$22.78

-67.92%

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

$207 MX$3,845

$2,460 A$3,498

-91.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.1K

$20.6K A$29.3K

-80.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$807

$76.1 A$108

-43.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$771

$57.4 A$81.7

-27.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,381

$107 A$153

-30.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,661

$133 A$189

-32.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$1,749 A$2,486

-43.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,089

$1,495 A$2,126

-74.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$3,065 A$4,358

-44.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,978 A$2,813

-45.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.4K

$11.1K A$15.8K

-64.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.6K

$7,790 A$11.1K

-20.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$4,317 A$6,139

-82.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.95

92.44%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Canberra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8% 293% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Canberra

$397 13.8% 55.9% $143

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Canberra

$330 11.4% 63.1% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Canberra

$267 9.2% 94.9% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Canberra

$168 5.8% 50.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Canberra

$111 3.9% 65.6% $44

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Canberra

$117 4.1% 132% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,749 in Canberra. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Canberra are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $90 in Canberra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $397 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇺 Canberra

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

19:40 7:40 PM

16 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

466,566 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.62 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.72 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Canberra 14,340 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Canberra

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 Canberra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $2,886 in Canberra – roughly 140% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,329 in Canberra. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,749 in Canberra.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,886 in Canberra. That’s a gap of about 140%.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Canberra at $2,886. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canberra it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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