Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mandurah

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,382 in Mandurah, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mandurah, Australia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Mandurah
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,382
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,382 in Mandurah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Mandurah $2,382

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,505 in Mandurah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Mandurah $3,505

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,629 in Mandurah, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Mandurah $4,629

Playa del Carmen is about 49% cheaper than Mandurah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Mandurah is 75% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$21.00 A$29.84
-48.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$814
$83.4 A$119
-48.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$11.28 A$16.03
4.43%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.5
$4.62 A$6.57
-17.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.07
$2.78 A$3.95
-53.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.70
$2.26 A$3.21
-65.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$6.16 A$8.75
-48.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$8.23 A$11.70
-40.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.40
$1.69 A$2.40
-16.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.62
$2.51 A$3.57
-11.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.61
$1.96 A$2.78
-27.55%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.36
$4.96 A$7.05
-49.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$9.48 A$13.47
-23.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$9.51 A$13.51
-19.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$13.80 A$19.61
-8.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$3.41 A$4.85
-18.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.68
$3.08 A$4.38
-55.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.89
$3.55 A$5.05
-28.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.86
$4.83 A$6.87
-56.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.39
$1.61 A$2.29
20.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.41
$0.81 A$1.15
133.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.53
$2.01 A$2.85
-42.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.13
$1.35 A$1.93
-12.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.6
$42.37 A$60.2
-89.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$12.83 A$18.24
-22.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.73
$4.42 A$6.28
-64.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$3.39 A$4.81
-21.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.39
$3.63 A$5.16
-84.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$92.5 A$131
-71.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.3
$3.58 A$5.09
38.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.5
$1.42 A$2.02
134.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$40.90 A$58.1
-86.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.11
$1.30 A$1.85
10.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.0K
$29.8K A$42.4K
-30.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.5K
$27.5K A$39.1K
-14.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,592
$207 A$294
-59.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$20.96 A$29.79
11.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$538
$63.6 A$90.4
-54.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,071
$34.65 A$49.25
64.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$10.46 A$14.87
176.39%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.5
$8.89 A$12.64
-42.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,878
$397 A$564
-47.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.7K
$22.9K A$32.6K
-82.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$814
$77.3 A$110
-43.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$778
$44.64 A$63.5
-7.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,393
$120 A$170
-38.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,676
$77.4 A$110
15.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$1,386 A$1,970
-29.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,150
$1,106 A$1,571
-65.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$2,485 A$3,532
-31.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$1,776 A$2,525
-39.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Mandurah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$4,262 A$6,058
-82.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.7
100.88%

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 Mandurah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Mandurah
$1.1K 190% $725
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Mandurah
$346 35.9% $91
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Mandurah
$325 60.4% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Mandurah
$292 113% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Mandurah
$144 28.5% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Mandurah
$52 22.1% $15
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Mandurah
$118 133% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,386 in Mandurah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mandurah are about 5.8 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 $83 in Mandurah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $346 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇦🇺 Mandurah
🕒 Local time
01:17 1:17 AM
14:17 2:17 PM
13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
107,643
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Mandurah 17,400 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Mandurah

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 Mandurah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Mandurah?
Mandurah costs about 98% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Mandurah?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,573 in Mandurah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Playa del Carmen or Mandurah?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,386 in Mandurah.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Mandurah?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $397 in Mandurah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Mandurah?
Groceries cost about 36% more in Mandurah, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Mandurah?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Mandurah at $2,382. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mandurah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Playa del Carmen or to Mandurah?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mandurah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?