Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Horsham, Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,575 in Horsham, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Horsham, Australia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Horsham
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,575
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,575 in Horsham.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Horsham $2,575

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,652 in Horsham.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Horsham $3,652

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,729 in Horsham.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Horsham $4,729

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 53% less than in Horsham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Horsham is 90% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$198
$13.98 A$19.97
-23.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$813
$71.2 A$102
-38.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$12.05 A$17.21
-2.16%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.3
$3.52 A$5.03
7.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.09
$3.20 A$4.57
-59.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.48
$2.12 A$3.02
-60.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.4
$9.96 A$14.22
-68.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.6
$8.47 A$12.10
-41.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.16
$1.51 A$2.15
-6.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.77
$2.91 A$4.15
-24.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.35
$2.66 A$3.81
-44.74%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.37
$5.56 A$7.94
-55.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$135
$10.45 A$14.93
-30.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$10.00 A$14.28
-20.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$15.19 A$21.70
-15.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.8
$4.04 A$5.77
-28.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.69
$3.01 A$4.30
-54.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.26
$3.13 A$4.47
-20.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.70
$4.81 A$6.87
-57.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.61
$2.96 A$4.23
-31.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.35
$2.48 A$3.54
-23.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.25
$2.39 A$3.42
-52.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.01
$1.63 A$2.32
-23.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.3
$45.10 A$64.4
-90.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$182
$10.60 A$15.14
-7.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.45
$5.68 A$8.11
-72.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.0
$5.33 A$7.62
-48.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.56
$2.73 A$3.90
-81.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$509
$82.8 A$118
-66.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.4
$4.57 A$6.52
4.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.3
$1.42 A$2.03
128.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$29.69 A$42.40
-81.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.38
$1.43 A$2.04
6.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$393.9K
$29.4K A$41.9K
-27.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.0K
$25.7K A$36.7K
-9.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,550
$233 A$333
-64.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$14.26 A$20.36
62.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$513
$52.8 A$75.3
-47.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,048
$55.7 A$79.5
1.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$524
$17.63 A$25.18
59.90%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$92.9
$17.26 A$24.65
-71.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,846
$2,511 A$3,586
-91.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.1K
$30.4K A$43.4K
-82.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$807
$79.5 A$114
-45.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$790
$49.53 A$70.7
-14.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,351
$121 A$173
-40.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,641
$136 A$194
-34.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$1,416 A$2,022
-29.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,102
$1,245 A$1,777
-69.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.1K
$2,216 A$3,165
-24.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$1,846 A$2,637
-41.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.6K
$5,896 A$8,420
-33.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.0K
$4,975 A$7,105
23.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Horsham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.5
108.18%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Horsham: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Horsham
$1.2K 226% $862
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Horsham
$382 48.4% $125
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Horsham
$278 38.9% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Horsham
$300 124% $166
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Horsham
$174 56.3% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Horsham
$90 35.8% $24
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Horsham
$105 109% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,416 in Horsham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $71 in Horsham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $382 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇦🇺 Horsham
🕒 Local time
08:22 8:22 AM
00:22 12:22 AM
16 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
14,543
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Horsham 14,950 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Horsham

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 Horsham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Horsham?
Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $3,862 in Horsham 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.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Horsham?
Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,416 in Horsham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 67% less than in Horsham. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,511 in Horsham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Horsham?
At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,575 in Horsham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Horsham. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Horsham?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Horsham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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