Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Canterbury-Bankstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Canterbury-Bankstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,257 in Canterbury-Bankstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,304 in Canterbury-Bankstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,351 in Canterbury-Bankstown.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 44% less than in Canterbury-Bankstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Canterbury-Bankstown is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$16.37 A$23.46

-26.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$78.4 A$112

-46.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$9.77 A$14.00

10.03%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.32 A$4.76

5.42%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$2.45 A$3.51

-40.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$2.00 A$2.86

-56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$6.48 A$9.29

-54.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$7.33 A$10.51

-38.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.63 A$2.33

-12.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$2.79 A$4.00

-34.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.84 A$2.63

-14.67%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$5.07 A$7.26

-50.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.94 A$12.80

-7.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$8.34 A$11.94

1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$14.91 A$21.36

-28.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$3.35 A$4.81

-22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.97 A$4.26

-51.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$3.12 A$4.47

-37.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$4.83 A$6.91

-56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.35 A$3.36

-21.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$2.34 A$3.36

-7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$2.12 A$3.04

-51.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.25 A$1.79

-14.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$30.37 A$43.51

-86.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$13.62 A$19.52

-25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$5.09 A$7.29

-66.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$5.39 A$7.73

-53.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$2.62 A$3.75

-80.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$65.2 A$93.4

-60.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$4.00 A$5.73

-19.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.63 A$2.33

47.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$41.37 A$59.3

-92.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.20 A$1.72

10.00%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$29.1K A$41.7K

2.01%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$22.4K A$32.1K

5.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$202 A$289

-59.32%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$30.21 A$43.28

-24.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$53.1 A$76.0

-43.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$48.45 A$69.4

7.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$15.57 A$22.31

19.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$15.34 A$21.98

-67.54%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$1,756 A$2,516

-88.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$13.4K A$19.3K

-60.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$71.5 A$102

-50.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$58.2 A$83.4

-30.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$105 A$150

-24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$133 A$191

-33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$1,244 A$1,782

-23.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$1,085 A$1,554

-56.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$2,000 A$2,865

-17.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,675 A$2,400

-27.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$6,537 A$9,365

-37.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$4,655 A$6,669

38.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.29

81.56%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Canterbury-Bankstown: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $1,244 in Canterbury-Bankstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $78.0 in Canterbury-Bankstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $355 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Canterbury-Bankstown differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $2,257 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $3,385 in Canterbury-Bankstown 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,244 in Canterbury-Bankstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $78.0 in Canterbury-Bankstown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,257 in Canterbury-Bankstown – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,257 in Canterbury-Bankstown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Canterbury-Bankstown. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Canterbury-Bankstown 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 80% less than in Canterbury-Bankstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.