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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,857 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,803 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,748 in Dunedin.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 32% less than in Dunedin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Dunedin is 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$11.97 NZ$20.49

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$71.7 NZ$123

-41.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$11.05 NZ$18.92

-2.71%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$3.46 NZ$5.92

1.16%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$2.20 NZ$3.77

-34.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$2.04 NZ$3.50

-56.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$7.21 NZ$12.34

-59.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$5.86 NZ$10.04

-23.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$2.07 NZ$3.55

-30.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.99 NZ$3.41

-7.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.88 NZ$3.22

-16.49%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$5.71 NZ$9.78

-56.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$8.44 NZ$14.46

-1.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$10.71 NZ$18.33

-21.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$13.14 NZ$22.50

-18.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.90 NZ$4.96

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.24 NZ$3.84

-35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$3.44 NZ$5.88

-43.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$4.47 NZ$7.65

-53.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.98 NZ$3.39

-6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.98 NZ$3.39

9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$2.54 NZ$4.35

-59.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.10 NZ$1.89

-2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$24.44 NZ$41.84

-83.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.76 NZ$14.99

16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.58 NZ$4.41

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$3.66 NZ$6.27

-30.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$1.20 NZ$2.05

-57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$72.9 NZ$125

-64.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$6.10 NZ$10.45

-47.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.13 NZ$1.94

113.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$30.14 NZ$51.6

-89.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.65 NZ$2.82

-20.00%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$19.7K NZ$33.7K

50.99%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$25.2K NZ$43.2K

-6.26%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$102 NZ$175

-19.82%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$36.07 NZ$61.8

-36.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$54.4 NZ$93.2

-44.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$52.1 NZ$89.1

-0.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$6.20 NZ$10.62

198.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$9.56 NZ$16.37

-47.91%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$584 NZ$1,000

-66.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

-55.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$66.7 NZ$114

-46.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$35.81 NZ$61.3

12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$96.8 NZ$166

-18.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$122 NZ$209

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$895 NZ$1,533

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$776 NZ$1,328

-38.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$1,524 NZ$2,609

7.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,307 NZ$2,239

-7.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$2,229 NZ$3,816

190.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$2,522 NZ$4,318

-74.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.07

61.53%

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 Dunedin: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $895 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 286% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $72.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $324 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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Dunedin differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,857 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 286% lower in Dunedin. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $895 in Dunedin. 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 180% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $584 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,857 in Dunedin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. 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 Dunedin 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 48% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.