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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,522 in Invercargill, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,447 in Invercargill, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,372 in Invercargill, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 15% cheaper than Invercargill, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 4% below the global median, while Invercargill is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$12.05 NZ$20.48

-0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$72.2 NZ$123

-40.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.32 NZ$14.15

27.28%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.40 NZ$5.77

6.47%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.75 NZ$2.98

-16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.49 NZ$2.53

-36.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$6.06 NZ$10.29

-49.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$4.77 NZ$8.11

-6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.51 NZ$2.57

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.80 NZ$3.07

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.73 NZ$2.94

-5.78%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$5.48 NZ$9.32

-51.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.46 NZ$14.38

-2.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$9.27 NZ$15.76

-10.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$13.18 NZ$22.41

-15.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.84 NZ$4.83

-6.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.26 NZ$3.85

-33.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.55 NZ$4.33

-21.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$3.77 NZ$6.41

-44.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.90 NZ$3.24

-5.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.78 NZ$3.02

22.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$2.44 NZ$4.16

-55.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$1.11 NZ$1.89

-6.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$22.32 NZ$37.94

-82.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.02 NZ$15.33

13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$4.07 NZ$6.93

-57.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$3.64 NZ$6.19

-31.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.53 NZ$2.61

-66.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$64.5 NZ$110

-58.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.45 NZ$4.16

28.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.93 NZ$3.29

24.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$30.05 NZ$51.1

-89.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.63 NZ$2.77

-22.09%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$25.9K NZ$44.1K

19.13%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$20.1K NZ$34.2K

16.04%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$102 NZ$174

-19.94%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$35.57 NZ$60.5

-36.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$50.0 NZ$85.0

-40.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$29.52 NZ$50.2

75.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$12.18 NZ$20.70

53.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$9.55 NZ$16.24

-47.96%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$594 NZ$1,010

-66.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$11.8K NZ$20.1K

-55.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$66.0 NZ$112

-44.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$34.63 NZ$58.9

15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$83.1 NZ$141

-3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$84.5 NZ$144

5.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$633 NZ$1,076

52.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$582 NZ$989

-20.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$872 NZ$1,483

83.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$1,047 NZ$1,780

15.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$5,021 NZ$8,536

-21.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$3,531 NZ$6,003

82.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$3,099 NZ$5,268

-76.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.87

66.23%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $633 in Invercargill. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 330% higher in Invercargill, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $72.0 in Invercargill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $308 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill costs about 18% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,282 in Invercargill. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Invercargill, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $72.0 in Invercargill. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in Invercargill at $1,522. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Invercargill it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,287 versus $1,522 in Invercargill. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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