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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,235 in Pakenham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,281 in Pakenham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,327 in Pakenham.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 42% less than in Pakenham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Pakenham is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$19.35 A$27.09

-38.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$78.8 A$110

-45.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$9.49 A$13.29

11.59%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.55 A$4.96

1.97%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$2.55 A$3.57

-42.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$2.39 A$3.35

-60.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$7.45 A$10.43

-58.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$7.08 A$9.92

-37.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.06 A$1.48

34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.65 A$3.72

-29.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.32 A$1.84

23.48%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$4.84 A$6.78

-45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.82 A$10.95

4.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.34 A$13.08

-11.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$14.64 A$20.49

-24.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.15 A$4.41

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.79 A$3.90

-46.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.98 A$4.17

-33.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$3.18 A$4.45

-34.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.69 A$3.76

-33.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.23 A$3.12

-2.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.23 A$3.13

-51.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.34 A$1.87

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$21.39 A$29.94

-81.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$14.41 A$20.18

-29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$4.69 A$6.57

-63.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$4.80 A$6.72

-47.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$2.67 A$3.74

-80.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$64.9 A$90.8

-58.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$3.62 A$5.07

-13.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.40 A$1.96

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$27.58 A$38.61

-88.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.19 A$1.67

6.72%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$29.3K A$41.0K

5.37%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$22.9K A$32.1K

1.63%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$150 A$210

-45.37%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$20.74 A$29.03

8.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$50.7 A$70.9

-41.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$48.28 A$67.6

7.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$15.97 A$22.36

16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$16.17 A$22.64

-69.26%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$1,780 A$2,492

-88.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$19.0K A$26.6K

-72.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$68.2 A$95.5

-46.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$52.4 A$73.3

-23.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$107 A$150

-25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$105 A$147

-15.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$1,249 A$1,749

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$1,050 A$1,470

-55.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$2,050 A$2,871

-22.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,662 A$2,326

-27.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$6,570 A$9,199

-40.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$4,456 A$6,238

44.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.19

84.49%

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 Pakenham: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,249 in Pakenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $79.0 in Pakenham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $335 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Pakenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Pakenham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $3,353 in Pakenham 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,249 in Pakenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,780 in Pakenham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Pakenham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,235 in Pakenham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Pakenham. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Pakenham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Pakenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.