Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Paeroa

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,990 in Paeroa, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Paeroa
Learn more

Paeroa Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Paeroa

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,990 in Paeroa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Paeroa $1,990

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,974 in Paeroa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Paeroa $2,974

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,959 in Paeroa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Paeroa $3,959

Playa del Carmen is about 40% cheaper than Paeroa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Paeroa is 47% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$14.41 NZ$25.62

-25.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$69.3 NZ$123

-36.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$8.83 NZ$15.70

33.52%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$3.28 NZ$5.83

15.55%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$2.00 NZ$3.56

-35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.85 NZ$3.30

-55.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$6.21 NZ$11.04

-49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$6.07 NZ$10.80

-18.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.76 NZ$3.13

-19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.99 NZ$3.54

10.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.72 NZ$3.05

-14.53%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$5.76 NZ$10.24

-56.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$8.26 NZ$14.68

-11.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$9.22 NZ$16.38

-13.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$14.46 NZ$25.71

-11.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$2.58 NZ$4.59

12.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$2.15 NZ$3.82

-35.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$3.12 NZ$5.54

-20.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$5.40 NZ$9.59

-62.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$2.00 NZ$3.55

1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$1.45 NZ$2.58

31.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-48.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$1.06 NZ$1.88

16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$23.99 NZ$42.64

-82.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$8.93 NZ$15.88

9.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$3.07 NZ$5.46

-48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$3.31 NZ$5.88

-16.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$2.03 NZ$3.61

-74.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$102 NZ$181

-73.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$2.33 NZ$4.14

104.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.87 NZ$3.33

73.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$29.67 NZ$52.8

-81.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.75 NZ$3.11

-12.57%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$27.5K NZ$48.9K

-22.86%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$23.0K NZ$40.9K

1.13%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$110 NZ$196

-24.27%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$28.61 NZ$50.9

-18.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$52.2 NZ$92.7

-47.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$38.57 NZ$68.6

46.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$11.56 NZ$20.55

-56.75%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$676 NZ$1,201

-69.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$17.2K NZ$30.5K

-69.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$63.7 NZ$113

-31.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$35.94 NZ$63.9

18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$93.7 NZ$167

-22.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$110 NZ$196

-19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,044 NZ$1,856

-4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$922 NZ$1,639

-58.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$881 NZ$1,566

90.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$1,500 NZ$2,667

-27.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$4,836 NZ$8,597

-19.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$3,330 NZ$5,919

84.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.83

96.40%

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 Paeroa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Paeroa

$922 46.3% 141% $540

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Paeroa

$317 15.9% 23.2% $60

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Paeroa

$240 12.1% 19.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Paeroa

$191 9.6% 42.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Paeroa

$137 6.9% 22.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Paeroa

$62 3.1% 7.1% $4.8

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Paeroa

$122 6.1% 141% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,044 in Paeroa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $69 in Paeroa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $317 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇿 Paeroa

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

22:54 10:54 PM

18 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

4,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Paeroa 12,000 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Paeroa

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 Paeroa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, $1,990 in Paeroa – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,985 in Paeroa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,044 in Paeroa. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $676 in Paeroa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Paeroa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Paeroa at $1,990. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paeroa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.