Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mount Gambier

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,242 in Mount Gambier, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Mount Gambier
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Mount Gambier Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Mount Gambier

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mount Gambier

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,242 in Mount Gambier.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Mount Gambier $2,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,730 in Mount Gambier.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mount Gambier $3,730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,218 in Mount Gambier.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Mount Gambier $5,218

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 46% less than in Mount Gambier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Mount Gambier is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$30.98 A$44.35

-65.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$121 A$173

-63.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$10.98 A$15.72

7.38%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$4.72 A$6.76

-19.70%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$2.99 A$4.28

-56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$2.53 A$3.62

-67.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$4.95 A$7.09

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$6.27 A$8.97

-21.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.26 A$3.24

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$3.45 A$4.94

-36.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$2.29 A$3.28

-35.81%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$5.94 A$8.51

-57.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$9.18 A$13.14

-20.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$9.11 A$13.04

-12.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$10.10 A$14.46

27.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$3.18 A$4.55

-8.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$2.58 A$3.69

-46.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$3.21 A$4.60

-22.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$5.26 A$7.53

-61.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$3.30 A$4.72

-38.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$3.90 A$5.59

-51.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$2.64 A$3.78

-56.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$1.61 A$2.31

-22.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$31.37 A$44.90

-86.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$24.11 A$34.51

-59.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$4.76 A$6.81

-66.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$5.13 A$7.34

-46.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$2.72 A$3.89

-81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$83.6 A$120

-67.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$3.42 A$4.89

39.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.58 A$2.26

105.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$40.49 A$58.0

-86.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.47 A$2.11

4.08%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$29.6K A$42.3K

-28.27%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$26.9K A$38.5K

-13.39%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$303 A$434

-72.46%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$44.54 A$63.8

-47.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$64.1 A$91.7

-56.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$56.4 A$80.8

0.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$17.89 A$25.61

57.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$11.43 A$16.36

-56.26%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$2,153 A$3,082

-90.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$20.3K A$29.1K

-74.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$90.5 A$130

-51.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$48.90 A$70.0

-13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$123 A$176

-40.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$111 A$158

-20.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$778 A$1,114

27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$686 A$982

-44.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,249 A$1,788

34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$1,689 A$2,418

-36.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$5,857 A$8,385

-33.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$4,984 A$7,134

23.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$2,533 A$3,626

-67.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.63

72.70%

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 Mount Gambier: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Mount Gambier

$686 30.6% 79.4% $304

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Mount Gambier

$394 17.6% 53% $136

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Mount Gambier

$397 17.7% 98.1% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Mount Gambier

$412 18.4% 207% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Mount Gambier

$168 7.5% 51% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Mount Gambier

$79 3.5% 19.3% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mount Gambier

$106 4.7% 110% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $778 in Mount Gambier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Gambier pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $121 in Mount Gambier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $394 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇺 Mount Gambier

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

10:32 10:32 AM

15 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

26,734

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mount Gambier 15,060 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mount Gambier

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 Mount Gambier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Mount Gambier. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $778 in Mount Gambier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,153 in Mount Gambier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Mount Gambier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,242 in Mount Gambier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mount Gambier. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Mount Gambier on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.